U.S. and Russia negotiate peace, Europe excluded from the talks
The United States and Russia are beginning to thaw relations, while Europe watches helplessly as the two superpowers negotiate the terms of a future agreement to end the war in Ukraine, comments "La Vanguardia".
On Tuesday, the world's attention turned to Riyadh, where representatives from the United States and Russia met to discuss the terms to end the war in Ukraine preliminarily.
Russia and the USA act independently
As US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced, Europe will be included at the negotiating table later because, to end the conflict, there must be concessions from all sides.
"On the eve of the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe watches helplessly as the USA and Russia independently negotiate the terms of a future peace agreement in Ukraine," comments the Catalan daily "La Vanguardia."
According to La Vanguardia, the Trump administration aims for a swift resolution to the conflict. This involves returning occupied territories to Russia and reintegrating them into the global system.
"Everything suggests that Putin's main goal is not only to exit the crisis and restore relations but also to reform the security system and subject Ukraine to Russian geopolitical influence, which means no foreign troops, Ukrainian army, and full sovereignty," the newspaper assesses.
The daily notes that the Trump administration's previous actions "appeal" to the Kremlin. Russia hopes for territorial gains and a new economic opening, including the lifting of sanctions and the return of Western companies to the Russian market.
The meeting of European leaders in Paris demonstrated that the EU can show unity despite being overlooked by the USA. However, Europe remains divided on the issue of deploying troops to Ukraine. "La Vanguardia stresses that the EU's weakness puts it behind the United States.
