European leaders seek Trump's backing for new Ukraine-Russia peace talks
European leaders will seek to persuade Trump to support talks with Russia (photo: Getty Images)
European leaders want to use their meetings with US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit to persuade him to support new peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Bloomberg reports.
According to the agency's sources, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany believe that the situation in the war has recently shifted in Ukraine's favor.
In their view, this creates an opportunity for negotiations that would go beyond the approaches that emerged after Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last year.
What European countries are proposing
The leaders of the so-called E3 group are calling for an immediate ceasefire.
They propose launching negotiations based on the current front line and providing Ukraine with reliable security guarantees, including the possible deployment of multinational forces.
These proposals were outlined in a joint statement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following talks in London.
What Europe wants to achieve
According to Bloomberg, the E3 countries see an opportunity to restore a more significant role for Europe in the negotiation process. This comes as US-led talks have reached a deadlock and Washington is increasingly focused on its confrontation with Iran.
According to the agency's sources, European leaders want Trump to support their proposals and increase pressure on Russia.
If successful, this could pave the way for new negotiations as early as next month involving representatives of Europe, the United States, Ukraine, and Russia.
New sanctions against Russia
Bloomberg sources also said that the United Kingdom and the European Union are working on a new package of sanctions against Russia that could be introduced in the coming weeks.
At the same time, the agency's sources stressed that these plans could still change.
European countries are also seeking to prevent a repeat of last winter's situation, when the Russian army carried out massive strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leaving part of the population without electricity and heating.
Putin's position
As is known, the Russian president rejects a ceasefire, claiming that it would allow Ukraine to rearm.
He also opposes the presence of European troops on Ukrainian territory.
In addition, the Kremlin leader demands that Ukraine give up part of the Donetsk region that Russian troops have not yet captured. Kyiv rules this out.
