Amidst the strained relations between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the weakening of Washington's support for Kyiv, European leaders intend to hold independent talks with the Kremlin to stop the war in Ukraine. It is reported that a telephone conversation between the leaders of European countries and Russian President Vladimir Putin may take place in the near future.
Modern.az reports that Gideon Rachman, international commentator for the "Financial Times" newspaper, wrote about this.
According to him, during possible talks between Russia and Europe, Putin may be offered two options for ending the war.
According to the first scenario proposed by Rachman, the European side could propose a "freezing of the conflict" at the current front line. In return, Russia would be guaranteed that Ukraine would never join NATO.
"The second scenario is that Ukraine cedes the rest of Donbas to Russia, but then joins NATO," the author claimed without citing a source.
It should be recalled that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously stated that the war in Ukraine had reached a "strategic stalemate." According to him, Russia demands full control over Donbas, while Kyiv considers this unacceptable.
Rubio noted that a way out of the current situation is possible either through negotiations or by one or both sides escalating tensions.
The Kremlin, however, has repeatedly stated that for ceasefire talks to begin, Ukraine must withdraw from the entire territory of Donbas. Russian troops, however, have not been able to achieve full control of that territory for four and a half years.
According to the "Financial Times," Europe considers sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine important, especially at a time when US aid to Kyiv is weakening.
For this reason, European countries increasingly view their direct participation in peace efforts as a necessity. The publication notes that after the cessation of US financial aid, one of the main factors allowing Ukraine to continue its operations is European financial support.
According to Rachman, a common position is strengthening among European states that the leaders of the "Old World" cannot be content with only Washington's representatives talking to Putin.
He also stated that communication channels with Russia are "already open."
