Ukraine and its European allies have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of feigning interest in peace efforts after five hours of talks with U.S. envoys at the Kremlin produced no breakthrough.

Ukraine and its European allies accused Vladimir Putin on Wednesday of feigning interest in peace efforts after five hours of talks with U.S. envoys at the Kremlin produced no breakthrough.

The Russian leader “should end the bluster and the bloodshed and be ready to come to the table and to support a just and lasting peace,” said U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged Putin to “stop wasting the world’s time.”

The remarks reflect the high tensions and gaping gulf that remain between Russia on one side and Ukraine and its European allies on the other over how to end a war that Moscow started when it invaded its neighbor nearly four years ago.

  • d00phy@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    18 hours ago

    One of these days they’ll realize that putting restrictions on the weapons given to Ukraine is playing into Putins hands. They’re so fearful of “escalation” when Putin’s already escalated.

    Putin knows opening up a second front by attacking another former SSR would force the rest of the world to acknowledge what they already know - that he has no interest in any peace he hasn’t solely dictated - and actually respond to the obvious threat. So, he’ll play the war of attrition against Ukraine, Trump will fellate him, Europe will do little, he’ll rebuild his army and go after the next former SSR. Rinse, repeat. Modern leaders have no stomach for dealing with a bully like Putin. Or even a stupid Billy like Trump.

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    3·
    19 hours ago

    I’m just utterly baffled why the whole damn European continent appears to be willfully ignorant of how consistently Russia operates in bad faith - particularly considering how long its been going on for.

      • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2·
        17 hours ago

        The fact that it took Russia attempting to fully annex a relatively enormous neighboring country not once, but twice (2014; 2022-???) kinda proves my point

        • Riddick3001@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          16 hours ago

          So your thinking is something like:

          because Ukraine was invaded in Crimea in 2014 and there after, in 2022 there was the full-blown invasion; you conclude that Europe is willfully ignorant of Russia being badfaith actor and that therefore Europe still naively believes that Ruzzia has peaceful intentions? Weird conclusion.

          EU started with sanctions after Crimea was annexed. So no, Europeans didn’t think Russia had peaceful intentions. Also there is the shooting down in 2014 of a passangerplane MH17. So again, no.