EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says the conditions Russia has presented suggest Putin doesn’t really want peace
Morning opening: The lull before the storm
US President Donald Trump said he plans to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin about next steps in the peace process on Ukraine on Tuesday, after “a lot has been done over the weekend.”
His comments – particularly on “dividing up certain assets” – will make Europeans wonder what exactly he is planning to propose when he talks to Putin, and how this aligns with their views on what should happen in Ukraine.
On Saturday, “the coalition of the willing” discussed what they can do, as UK prime minister Keir Starmer talked the arrangement up as moving to “operational phase.”
But the very existence of the coalition appeared to be firmly opposed by Russia, as deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko said that any long-lasting peace treaty on Ukraine must meet Moscow’s demands.
