Ukraine and European leaders agreed on Saturday to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire from 12 May with the backing of US president Donald Trump, threatening president Vladimir Putin with new “massive” sanctions if he failed to comply.
The announcement was made by the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Poland and Ukraine after a meeting in Kyiv, during which they held a phone call with Trump.
There is a Russian counter ultimatum, that Trump has enthusiastically embraced as glorious peace breakthrough: Ukraine must go back to resume Istanbul peace talks this week.
Simply not reality focused. Hatred of Russia programmed higher than European security concerns that could be addressed if “root causes of conflict” (US puppeted provocation of war by Ukraine and supporters) are a basis for peace instead of treating ceasefire as opportunity to rearm and train the newly conscripted.
Just as Russia demands demilitarization of Ukraine, Europe needs to demand demilitarization of Russia to avoid their own military buildup at cost of social programs. Europe continuing to demonize Russia, including blaming ceasefire breakdowns as one sided, is not going to get them treated as human. Not that anyone cares, but prolonging the war is more destruction of Ukraine and less favourable peace.
Even if destabilizing Russia is a unanimous/axiomatic goal, there is greater opportunity through giving it peace, and forcing it to transition to a peacetime economy, instead of the massive success/growth it has generated, including exceptional wage growth, during the war.
Haven’t Western nations already been applying significant sanctions to Russia? It’s pretty clear that hasn’t been working, why do they imagine that more of the same will work any better? Oh right, they don’t, they just want to look like they’re doing something useful.
Secondary sanctions could cripple Russia. If Europe and the US say trading with Russia means you cant trade with them then China walks away. No two ways about it, China needs markets to sell their stuff, it would be tense and countries would skirt around them but individual companies can no longer operate flights to the UAE because the governments trade with Russia? They dont do enough trade to make that worthwhile, Russia isnt a big enough market for any country who has any passing trade with the EU or US.
China will call their bluff because the EU and America are heavily reliant on China.
Especially Europe where the population will directly elect another politician whenever they feel slightly economically inconvenienced by the current one.
didn’t they try this before?
Tried and succeeded, it crippled the currency and caused massive issues with their exports. There is a lot of talk about how they survived sanctions but the fact is they were barely holding it together for awhile there and its only Trumps return that has given them hope.
This is exactly what I want to see from Europe right now.
Europe have already sanctioned Russia multiple times over, what makes them think the threat of sanctions is going to make Putin care this time?
The oil price.
After three glorious years of sanctions that totally crippled… oh wait, achieved nothing. This new batch will definitely work!
Anything but their own skin in the game by sending troops in.
Ukraine is defending NATO but NATO won’t defend Ukraine. Disgraceful.
“After
threeglorious…”8 years + 3 years*
Moscow says it won’t be pressured over Ukraine 30-day truce --RT
This is foolish. As foolish as Trump’s tariffs war. It’s trying to bully someone with a strong hand into a deal when they already offered you one. Trying to bluff them in a situation where if they call your position collapses entirely is foolish.
Trump is showing he truly is someone swayed by whoever talks to him last. Zelensky was instructed by psychological experts from western intelligence I’m sure just how to appeal to him at their last meeting.
Russia’s bottom lines have been the same since the start and the only change has been the addition of recognition of the eastern oblasts (which Russia within its own legal system incorporated as de jure parts of Russia (under Russian law)) as part of Russia.
I can only assume that this ceasefire is another Minsk agreement deception. They intend to attempt to force it, to re-arm and re-train and re-group Ukraine’s military so they can put more of their men into the meat grinder and stall a collapse of the front another 10 months. And quite frankly given all the talk from France and other members of sending in troops once a ceasefire is achieved of trying to push the envelope of the acceptable slowly until Ukraine is de-facto but not de jure part of NATO.
Trump is going to ensure the US gets very little or no minerals to plunder from Ukraine if Russia has to push through to the finish.
I also wouldn’t be shocked if Trump is testing the waters with this, says nothing and then when Russia pushes back hard he’ll claim he never agreed to that and attempts to leave Europe on the hook for it all.
It would be nice if they sanctioned them by using their militaries to stop the invasion and push them out.
except that western liberals are the villains
right, but you get the idea
for sure, these people really do think they live in a fantasy show
“Stop or I’ll shoot!” I say, pointing the gun at my own foot.
“Time is a flat circle” etc.
What’s left to even sanction Russia with at this point? You can’t threaten someone with something you already did 4 years ago.
Actually enforcing the sanctions? Fighting loopholes? Remove exceptions? Reduce gas imports? There’s still plenty of room.
Reduce gas imports?
Please reduce gas imports more. Cripple any semblance of industry and power you have left. You will only use industrial power for killing children in Gaza and maintaining policing infrastructure either way. Better to let the gas be used by Chinese and Indian consumers (unironically).
There are some, and well know by the West in other to appease some EU region that cannot easily accommodate for the sanctions. Do you really, really, think is would it, in any shape or form, even noticeably by Moscow? Their economy is much faster growing with respect the EU and far more diversified in customers than 4 yrs ago (they need now to do it also in types of exported goods). Fr sure, Russia would like to normalize relations with the West, but if you give Moscow the choice of 5Billions trade in the West for the cost of 1Billion from Asia, he will chose to maintain the Asian one without any further thought.
Maybe actually do it.
Are you saying Russia isn’t under sanctions right now? Are you saying that the private wealth of Russian corps and citizens stored in North Atlantic institutions wasn’t frozen and then spent?
it’s not considered “sanctioned” until the International Communitytm deems it so!!!
This time for SURE sanctions will work
Surrender now Putin or we’ll stop trading with you at massive expense to our own economy! We’ll do it we swear
should have been at ‘massive’ sanctions a couple years ago.
Europe said it did. But these sanctions are super duper massive, I guess.
Exactly, we shouldn’t even be at this point. Russia should be a windswept wasteland.
If western economic integration actually meant anything then it would’ve been.
