Europe doubts possibility of lasting ceasefire in near future - WP
Many in Europe doubt that a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine will be achieved in the near future.
This is reported by The Washington Post with reference to unnamed European officials, Censor.NET informs.
The article says that European officials accuse Russian dictator Vladimir Putin of delaying the ceasefire in order to obtain concessions and drive a deeper wedge between Europe and the Trump administration.
Europe controls the sanctions that Russia wants to lift, which exclude Russia from the SWIFT international payment system headquartered in Belgium. However, European leaders have so far remained steadfast.
One official said that if the Kremlin wants to talk about sanctions, "everyone will have to talk to us."
At the same time, the newspaper writes, diplomats are wary that such a stance could lead to Europeans being accused of blocking peace talks. This could put Europe and the United States on a collision course at a time when they are already at odds over trade and defense.
"European leaders have invoked Trump's favorite mantra, 'peace from a position of strength. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that this does not mean "starting with the lifting of sanctions." He said that they will continue to "convey our vision" in dialogue with the United States, and that "we must be able to defend our interests," the article says.
An unnamed European diplomat says that many in Europe doubt that a lasting ceasefire will be achieved anytime soon. And some diplomats describe European plans, including sending troops to Ukraine, as a preparatory exercise and leverage.
"European officials acknowledge that sanctions relief will be part of the negotiations, although they believe a temporary ceasefire should be in place first. Only then can talks return to issues such as sanctions," the article says.
