The leaders of Britain, France, and Germany will discuss negotiations with the Russian Federation with Zelensky. Europe is taking the initiative while the US is focused on the situation in Iran.
The leaders of Great Britain, France, and Germany plan to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this weekend to discuss how to engage Russia in peace talks to end the war, UNN reports, citing Bloomberg.
Details
The meeting, which underpins new efforts to end the more than four-year war, is currently scheduled for Sunday evening in Great Britain, according to sources familiar with the matter who are not authorized to discuss it publicly. Zelensky’s plans may still change, and the meeting could be postponed, the sources added.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated on Friday that the leaders of the three countries would meet with Zelensky in the coming days.
“We have always advocated for direct negotiations between Ukraine and the Kremlin,” he said, speaking at the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tivat, Montenegro. “It is Europeans who can help.”
The publication notes that the latest diplomatic push comes after Zelensky proposed new peace talks with Vladimir Putin, sending the Russian leader a rare and combative open letter on Thursday. Great Britain, France, and Germany see an opportunity to bring Putin to the negotiating table, while Ukraine has had increasing success in carrying out drone strikes deep inside Russia.
Furthermore, US-led peace talks with Russia have stalled, as President Donald Trump is focusing his attention on the war in Iran and negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz—a vital shipping lane that Tehran has threatened to close, potentially upending the global economy.
“Someone in the EU has to take the initiative, Mr. Trump doesn’t have time for it,” Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš told Bloomberg News on Friday in Tivat, Montenegro, where EU leaders gathered for a Western Balkans summit. “He’s too busy with the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe needs to take a role in ending the war.”
Spokespersons for the French and German governments did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Spokespersons for the British and Ukrainian governments declined to comment.
Addition
Attempts to have Europe lead new peace talks have met with caution in some countries.
At a recent meeting of EU ambassadors, the Baltic states stated that the bloc should proceed with caution, according to people familiar with the matter. Others supported further discussion of the issue before embarking on any new efforts, added sources who wished to remain anonymous regarding the closed-door meeting.
Putin, for his part, has already dismissed the idea.
Another possibility that divides the EU is the appointment of a special EU envoy to negotiate with Putin. Countries like Austria have expressed interest at a recent meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers. But others have warned that such a position could play into Russia’s hands.
“This is a trap that Russia wants us to fall into, for us to discuss who is talking to them,” said Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s top diplomat, at the meeting. “They are already choosing who is suitable and who is not—let’s not fall into this trap.”