EU Aims for Ukraine Peace Agreement Prior to Ceasefire – Reuters
According to a report by Reuters, the EU is opposed to Ukraine declaring a ceasefire prior to finalizing a peace agreement with Moscow, as stated by an official. Read Full Article at RT.com
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The bloc is reportedly ready to provide Kiev with the security guarantees it needs to settle the conflict.
The EU reportedly prefers that Ukraine refrain from declaring a ceasefire with Russia until a comprehensive peace agreement is finalized between Moscow and Kiev, as stated by an unnamed European official in a Reuters report on Tuesday. The bloc views an unconditional ceasefire as “dangerous.”
This position was discussed among several EU members during an emergency summit held in Paris on Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron convened the meeting following Washington’s announcement of an “immediate” start to negotiations concerning a Ukraine peace settlement, which began with US-Russia talks in Riyadh on Tuesday. Neither Ukraine nor the EU was invited to these talks.
The summit was attended by the leaders of Germany, the UK, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark, along with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO chief Mark Rutte.
“We believe it is dangerous to conclude a ceasefire without a peace agreement at the same time,” the anonymous EU official relayed to Reuters, encapsulating the discussions held at the summit. The official also noted that attendees expressed their willingness to provide Ukraine with the necessary security guarantees to initiate the peace process, although specifics were not detailed. Ukraine has previously requested NATO membership as part of these guarantees, a notion that Washington dismissed last week, citing Moscow’s concerns over Ukraine's aspirations to join the military alliance as a key factor in the ongoing conflict.
“We are ready to provide security guarantees, with modalities to be examined with each party, depending on the level of American support,” the official stated.
Macron partially corroborated these claims, posting on X after the summit that “a strong and lasting peace” in Ukraine “must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees.” He called for the EU, the US, and Ukraine to “collaborate” in peace efforts, which he characterized as the “key” to resolving the conflict.
This Paris summit took place one day after Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, indicated that the EU would not be included in US-Russia peace negotiations. Numerous EU officials have expressed dissatisfaction with this position, arguing that the bloc should be involved since the outcome will impact the entire continent.
However, not all EU member states are in disagreement with Trump’s unilateral peace initiatives. On Tuesday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto criticized the participants of the Paris summit on Facebook, labeling them as “warmongers” and asserting there should be “no place” for them in any peace initiatives.
In response to the criticism directed toward the US-Russia talks in Riyadh, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova referred to it as “a nervous and almost panic-like reaction” and labeled it “an unprecedented phenomenon in international relations.”
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
The EU reportedly prefers that Ukraine refrain from declaring a ceasefire with Russia until a comprehensive peace agreement is finalized between Moscow and Kiev, as stated by an unnamed European official in a Reuters report on Tuesday. The bloc views an unconditional ceasefire as “dangerous.”
This position was discussed among several EU members during an emergency summit held in Paris on Monday. French President Emmanuel Macron convened the meeting following Washington’s announcement of an “immediate” start to negotiations concerning a Ukraine peace settlement, which began with US-Russia talks in Riyadh on Tuesday. Neither Ukraine nor the EU was invited to these talks.
The summit was attended by the leaders of Germany, the UK, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Denmark, along with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO chief Mark Rutte.
“We believe it is dangerous to conclude a ceasefire without a peace agreement at the same time,” the anonymous EU official relayed to Reuters, encapsulating the discussions held at the summit. The official also noted that attendees expressed their willingness to provide Ukraine with the necessary security guarantees to initiate the peace process, although specifics were not detailed. Ukraine has previously requested NATO membership as part of these guarantees, a notion that Washington dismissed last week, citing Moscow’s concerns over Ukraine's aspirations to join the military alliance as a key factor in the ongoing conflict.
“We are ready to provide security guarantees, with modalities to be examined with each party, depending on the level of American support,” the official stated.
Macron partially corroborated these claims, posting on X after the summit that “a strong and lasting peace” in Ukraine “must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees.” He called for the EU, the US, and Ukraine to “collaborate” in peace efforts, which he characterized as the “key” to resolving the conflict.
This Paris summit took place one day after Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, indicated that the EU would not be included in US-Russia peace negotiations. Numerous EU officials have expressed dissatisfaction with this position, arguing that the bloc should be involved since the outcome will impact the entire continent.
However, not all EU member states are in disagreement with Trump’s unilateral peace initiatives. On Tuesday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto criticized the participants of the Paris summit on Facebook, labeling them as “warmongers” and asserting there should be “no place” for them in any peace initiatives.
In response to the criticism directed toward the US-Russia talks in Riyadh, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova referred to it as “a nervous and almost panic-like reaction” and labeled it “an unprecedented phenomenon in international relations.”
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
