In recent weeks, the leaders of the three largest EU countries by population — France, Germany, and Italy — have all come out in favor of negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow as a way to end the fighting in Ukraine.
Unlike President Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi have all spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.
The three European leaders have all signed off on sending weapons to the Ukrainians but have also been calling for a ceasefire. After speaking with Putin by phone on Friday, Scholz wrote on Twitter: “There must be a ceasefire in Ukraine as quickly as possible.”
In an address to European Parliament last week, Macron said, “We are not at war with Russia.” He said that Europe’s “duty is to stand with Ukraine to achieve a ceasefire, then build peace.”
Draghi met with President Biden last week, and after the meeting, the Italian leader, who previously discouraged talks with Russia, said it was time to start thinking about a peace deal. “We agreed that we must continue to support Ukraine and put pressure on Moscow, but also begin to ask how to build peace,” Draghi said.
“People … want to think about the possibility of bringing a ceasefire and starting again some credible negotiations. That’s the situation right now. I think that we have to think deeply on how to address this,” Draghi added.
After the Biden-Draghi meeting, the White House still appeared to be uninterested in negotiations. “We feel the most constructive role is to continue to support the Ukrainians’ hands at the negotiating table and support them militarily,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin recently spoke with his Russian counterpart for the first time since Russia invaded, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the US’s top diplomat, has yet to speak with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The two diplomats last spoke on February 15.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson shares Washington’s view on negotiations. Johnson recently told Macron in a call that he “urged” Ukraine not to hold talks with Russia and reportedly told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 9 that even if Kyiv was ready to sign a deal with Moscow, the West was not.
Other hawkish NATO countries have come out against talks with Moscow. In early April, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki slammed Macron for speaking with Putin, likening it to “negotiating with Hitler.”
US and UK are somewhat removed from reality on the ground of Europe. People on the ground on continent are suffering the horrific realities of war. Johnson, resurrecting pre WWI glory. Biden feeding the US war machine, to his utter and complete shame.
Except there is no “Kiev” to negotiate with. Just a couple of cocaine addicts and Banderite Nazi’s who does whatever Pentagram tells them to. During the European security negotiations before this war Russia did cut out the “European” parrots and talked directly to the US, they’ll do the same here. This is a war between US and Russia after all and US admitted as much.
Yes, but what they really mean is Kiev on the Potomac. This dissention is a very good sign, … portends the (dys)unity of NATO they proclaim so loudly; and, the final act of the Nazi travesty. Now to see if it ends classicly in an underground bunker by their own hand.
Obviously Poland is getting some of the loot and it hasn’t fully flowed yet.
Why pretend they want negotiations, which Russia has offered right from the start of the SMO (plus for 8 years before that!)while refusing to tell Zelensky to negotiate? The UK is the worst offender, stopping the possible talks after Istanbul. Boris Johnson, war criminal.
People should be reminded that the “Azovites” who are now surrendering en masse in Azovstal are precisely those sadists that the residents of Mariupol are talking about with horror and hatred.
How people were thrown out of apartments in order to equip firing points there. How, with senseless cruelty, they did not let those dying of thirst out of the cellars to draw water. In one voice, the inhabitants of Mariupol say that neither a piece of bread nor a sip of water helped them – until ours came. How snipers shot in the heads of children who jumped out into the street – dozens of such cases were told to me by the surgeon of the Emergency Hospital, where these kids were in the morgue. How, for fun, tanks fired at people, at houses. As if for a careless word, teenagers had their mouths filled with polyurethane foam. How girls and women disappeared without a trace. Hundreds, thousands of such stories.
Living and dead residents of Mariupol will become witnesses for the prosecution at the trial of these nonhumans.”
It illuminating that Mariupol was liberated by forces of the DPR. These are Ukrainians fighting against the Kiev Regime
DPR seceded from Ukraine in 2014, so no, its members aren’t “Ukrainian.”
Kiev thinks they are Ukrainians. Kieve wants them to pay taxes to Kiev etc.
If Kiev says they are ‘Ukrainians’ then why should we disagree 😂
Azovstal has just been ordered to surrender by Kiev. Negotiations are going well. Azovstal’s racist neo-Nazis were a blight on Ukraine War public relations.
There’s not likely to be a general ceasefire, though the surrender of Azovstal is a huge concession IF it goes through and may tempt the Russians into being soft.
However, looking soft is also what the West needs Russia to look, as the West is otherwise geopolitically cauldroned by the Ukraine war.
The Russians are well aware of how US-advised Saudi Arabia strings along the Yemeni Houthi with ceasefires and peace talks, which only buy time to reload and reposition.
With the latest $40 billion US aid package held up by Rand Paul (backed by angry mothers with no baby formula), and the UK and EU having scraped the world’s arsenals bare of remaining surplus Soviet weapons, NATO needs a ceasefire far more than Russia does.
Sometime I would like to see the relative contributions disaggregated and compared to Washington’s. I suspect a lot amounted to little more than rhetorical.
EU aid to Ukraine has mostly been old weapons and whatever the cost of sanctions. Basically the EU forked over a mere US$ 2 billlion vs. the soon-to-be US$ contribution of US$ 60 billion.
Estimated EU aid in total is US$ 2 billion dollars from a US$ 15.2 trillion dollar EU economy.
The EU is quite wealthy, make no mistake.
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2022/05/13/eu-hikes-military-aid-ukraine/
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ny.gdp.mktp.cd?locations=eu
This is compared to US$ 53- US$ 60 billion from a US$ 20.95 US economy. The US dollar is supercharged by being the top world reserve currency @ 61.82% (2019).
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/Ny.Gdp.Mktp.Cd?locations=US
https://howmuch.net/articles/worlds-top-reserve-currencies-2019
The Euro is the second most popular world reserve currency, @ 20.24%. Throw in the Pound Sterling @ 4.54%, and that’s 24.76 % (2019).
Going by straight GDP, the EU @ 3/4 US GDP ‘should’ contribute, to match a $60 billion US giveaway, ~US$ 45 billion dollars.
Going by being 1/3 the world reserve currency status of the US, the EU ‘should’ match the $60 billion US giveaway to Ukraine with ~US$ 20 billion dollars.
So, obviously the EU, to match the US, should be donating well over US$ 2 billion; between US$ 20-45 billion dollars for every US$ 60 billion contribution.
The exact figure depends on how you factor in world reserve currency status on ability to support outrageous deficit spending.
The US has pretended to notice, with Janet Yellen suggesting the EU could pony up more treasure for their war:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/17/us/politics/yellen-europe-ukraine-aid.html
Thanks so much. This tells the tale like nothing else (money talks, eh?). Even given the immense power differential afforded by reserve currency status, fair to say, this “destroy Russia” project was conceived, written, directed and produced by Washington -lead actor UkraNazi Zelenski Army (btw, is there a “y” in the Cyrillic alphabet?), … and with EU cameos.
European Leaders finally figuring out that the war party also wants their countries destabilized and impoverished. The solution to 8 years of Ukrainian conflict is implementing UNSC 2202.
Blinken doesn’t want to risk another bone crusher handshake with bear Lavrov.
After speaking with Putin by phone on Friday, Scholz wrote on Twitter: “There must be a ceasefire in Ukraine as quickly as possible.”
“May 19 is the day we really — without additional authorities — we begin to not have the ability to send new stuff in,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. “It’ll start impacting our ability to provide aid uninterrupted.”
This is what you’re up against Olaf.
EU expansion is a playtoy for US diplomats/state Department as Blinken.
I really don;t understand the dead line. Are the arms merchants going on summer vacation or what?
I guess the Ukrainians aren’t doing as well as the msm would have us believe…otherwise, why these sudden calls for a ceasefire?
Even Al Jazeera mentions how their video reports are made censored by that side
Neither side is doing well, by their own plans or by objective observation.
NATO uses ceasefires as a strategic tool; calling for one does not reflect a condition of winning or losing.
But is it NATO calling for a cease fire or just some NATO countries that are starting to see the light? If the US doesn’t want a cease fire, then I would assume NATO doesn’t either.
NATO remains committed to long-term war.
The most influential Western European NATO nations are not very dependent on Russian oil and gas. (Germany doesn’t count; the point of NATO was to keep Germany down).
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1302320/russian-gas-import-dependency-in-the-eu-by-country/
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-biggest-economies-in-europe.html
The Eastern Europeans seem to be betting heavily on victory over Russia and generous reparations.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/reparations-what-will-russia-owe-ukraine/ar-AAVYTw0
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/03/03/you-will-repay-us-everything-zelensky-demands-russia-pay-reparations-for-war/
A Dollar short and a day late , if the usual suspects had bothered to negotiate with Putin there would have been no war .
Favor all they want…Not gonna happen till US (the boss) agrees…!
Of course, Not only US doesn’t care about Ukraine and its people, it doesn’t care about EU and its people…!
The Biden Administration cares less about American people than any other.
This is what really scares me. Inside the Beltway would rather regular Americans starve and freeze than help implement UNSC 2202
The Reset is a massive attempt to restore that unipolar moment when Europe through the US seemed unchallenged in geopolitics and essentially ruled the world.
This is bigger than UNSC 2202.
Yes – it’s absolutely terrifying to listen to members of the war party. Doubling down on 30 years of failure
The silly season continues. This is a surrender. Should have been done ling time ago. No need for those cuvilian hostages to be kept in for so ling. No need for injured soldiers to be kept without medical care for so ling.
It is all about image. Even though Azovstal plant was not military target for weeks, Ukrsine kept on showing old footage as if the battle of Mariupol still lasted. In fact, Russia pulled out bulk of its forces weeks ago, as Mariupol transitioned to city policing. City administration and services needed to be restored.
This is a surrender to Russian forces. There will be investigations into Azov crimes, as these may responsible for a range of concrete crimes, like holding hostages throughout city during siege. And holding them in Azovstal.
Upon being relesed from Azovstal, civilians that spoke English gave an earfull to Reuters and AP reporters. They said were kept against their will — and through UN released. Sure enough, it was not published. When Russia played one of those encounters with Reuter to show the media bias, Reuters just responded that they “stand by their story”. Why? They do not know who this woman was! Mind you, they are questioning the identity of the hostage that just came out through UN mediation! Among others with kuds clutching their digs and cats. No, cannot possibly have pity for Russians!
This kind of blatant deminizing and hate has indeed
gone to far.
What is with all the pushingvfor cease fire? Has Russia made the war so boring that it cannit be sold any more to Western audiences?
You’ll be Putin’s number one cheer leader on that investigation. But there will also be an even bigger investigation for all the Russian war crimes you’ve chosen to ignore.
The Azovstal siege tied down Russian/DNR forces as intended, including vital hi-tech gear like anti-artillery radar needed elsewhere.
From Azovstal, militants could easily raid Mariupol or bombard the city unless the Russians kept a close watch and tight lid.
It was not life back to normal. Many residents have had to leave because their homes were uninhabitable and there were no utilities.
Even the most fanatically pro-Russian sources admit that much.
https://wrp.org.uk/features/civilians-evacuated-water-and-power-restored-in-mariupol/
CNN just published an arrest of a spy by Ukraine Speciwl forces.
What a staged stupid whitewash!
They show an arrest iof a suspected spy who just hapoens to be in a linely road smoking. The unit is SOOO law conscious they ummudiafely find two witnesses to interrogate the suspect. He promotly confesses to have bern recruited on line — and paid ten dollars. He was to give Rusdian handlers the mivement of troups! And how was he supposed to do it? By standing by his door? Apartment window?
The highest point of this show is — there is NO DEATH PENALTY for treason? What a sick joke! There are st least three well known cases of sunmary execution. One was an execution of an Ukrainian negotiation delegation member. Upon coming back from the negotiations, Secret Police shot him, Apparently trying to resist. Sure. Zelensky fired two generals accising them of treason. They did make it too far alive.
This NAZI OUTFIT is feared for disapoearing people for crimes such as an internet comment. They were the ones that “swept” Bucha for “traitors” after Ruussia withdrew.
So now, a staged “arrest” of a spy, very decent trestment with “witnesses”.
Please look if up in CNN — it is priceless, .
You should start your own news network since apparently, you have all the real information.
There is discussion in Russia about changing the law to execute the Azov prisoners of war. Hmm, Russians showing they are the real Nazis of this war. Goes to show they are full of it.
No, executing Nazis is what the US did at the end of WW2.
A “cease fire” to allow re-arming and further training just prolongs the war.
Do they propose any terms? No. They don’t dare, because the US does not approve of any terms.
Therefore, what really matters is if this difference leads to a break with the US over the economic impact on the world outside the US.
When you are getting your tail kicked you want to resign. It is true in chess and military conflict.
The kill ratio is 15 Ukrainians for each Russian. At that level of combat Zelensky will be moving imaginary armies around a map from his bunker while he prances around in front of fake media pop culture politicians.
Say this in Washington today and the donor class drops you.
Why is Blinken getting paid? His job is to be a diplomat who talks to diplomats, isn’t it? Not just Israeli ones.
Diplomats talking isn’t the same as agreeing, but it’s what you do when you have to live on the same planet. In the Cold War, diplomats would speak with Soviet and Chinese diplomats, and those were countries that didn’t even allow the citizens to leave. Trump’s diplomats negotiated with the Taliban, and after that not a single American soldier was killed again. But talk to conservative Russia, after it saved Donbass from invasion? Unthinkable!
What was that about “the adults are back in the room”? “No, I can’t talk to their foreign minister, he’s a meanie!”
Blinken isn’t a diplomat, whatever his job description.
Young Russian soldiers describing their ‘special military mission in Ukraine.’
https://youtu.be/_qV5H6zsieM