Europe doubts the possibility of achieving a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine in the near future. After all, the military plans and efforts of London and Paris have met with the reluctance of other European countries to join these initiatives without guaranteed support from the United States. This is written by The Washington Post, reports UNN.
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It is noted that European officials accuse Russian leader Vladimir Putin of delaying the ceasefire in order to achieve concessions and drive a deeper wedge between Europe and the Trump administration.
Europe controls the sanctions that Russia wants to lift, and which exclude Russia from the SWIFT international payment system headquartered in Belgium.
This precaution and others are reviewed by the European Union every six months and require the consent of 27 members of the bloc for renewal. Hungary, which is friendly to Moscow, has regularly threatened to block their renewal
However, European leaders remain steadfast. As one official said, if the Kremlin wants to talk about sanctions, "everyone will have to talk to us."
At the same time, diplomats fear that such a position of Europeans will not be accused of blocking peace negotiations. This could put Europe and the United States on a collision course at a time when they are already in conflict over trade and defense.
Currently, European leaders have turned to Trump's favorite mantra of "peace from a position of strength." French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that this does not mean "starting by lifting sanctions." He said they would continue to "convey our vision" in dialogue with the United States, and that "we must be able to protect our interests."
According to the publication, many in Europe doubt that a lasting ceasefire will be reached in the near future, said an unnamed European official. And some diplomats describe European plans, including sending troops to Ukraine, as an exercise in preparation and use of leverage.
European officials acknowledge that easing sanctions will be part of the negotiations, although they believe a temporary ceasefire must first take place. Only then can negotiations return to issues such as sanctions.
Let us remind you
A new meeting of the Ukrainian and American teams gathered in Riyadh on March 25 in the morning after negotiations the day before between the USA and the Russian Federation.
The Kremlin has published an agreed list of Russian and Ukrainian facilities subject to a temporary moratorium on strikes against the energy system. The list includes oil refineries, oil and gas pipelines and storage facilities, including pumping stations, infrastructure that generates and transmits electricity, including power plants, substations, transformers and distributors, nuclear power plants, as well as hydroelectric dams.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the situation with silence at sea remains difficult, because Moscow is trying to include some additional conditions in the agreement, which does not contain prerequisites.
If a peacekeeping mission is created after the end of the war in Ukraine, the military contingent of foreign troops will not perform tasks to directly protect the border between Ukraine and Russia, but will be on the second line of defense, which by its presence should deter the Russians from a new possible attack. This was stated by French President Emmanuel Macron during a joint press conference with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Diplomats are increasingly skeptical about sending a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine. European countries are facing political and logistical constraints, given the position of the United States.
The Ministers of Defense of the Baltic countries warn that a truce in Ukraine will allow Russia to rearm and transfer troops to their borders. The countries call on NATO not to weaken the defense of the eastern flank.
Russia is not proving that it really wants peace - Macron27.03.25, 00:07 • [views_30014]