Putin under pressure as Ukraine ups diplomatic game
Upon arriving at the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Tirana, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte assessed that the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, made a significant mistake by sending a low-level delegation to Istanbul for the talks with Ukraine.
- I think all the pressure is now on Putin. The ball is clearly in his part of the field now, in his court. Ukraine, unlike Russia, sent Turkey a delegation authorised to negotiate a ceasefire, as noted by Rutte during a conversation with journalists before the EPC summit in Albania’s capital.
The NATO Secretary General also expressed particular satisfaction with the United States' role in facilitating the discussions between Russia and Ukraine.
He pointed out that US President Donald Trump managed to break the impasse and take the lead, which he considered highly significant.
Earlier on Friday, at 13:00 GMT, talks began in Istanbul involving delegations from the US, Ukraine, and Turkey regarding ending the war in Ukraine. This is one of two planned trilateral meetings for the day - discussions are also expected with delegations from Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey.
The Istanbul negotiations were initially presented as potentially groundbreaking for ending the war in Ukraine. However, expectations weakened when it became clear that, unlike Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in Istanbul, neither the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, nor US President Donald Trump would participate in the talks.
The security of Europe. The proposal of the French president
The EPC was established in May 2022 as an intergovernmental platform to facilitate the coordination of political and economic initiatives among European states. It was created in response to Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine.
During his address to the European Parliament, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed forming a new European body that would offer democratic nations a platform for cooperation in areas such as security, economic partnerships, energy, investment, and infrastructure.
