Putin wants Ukraine to surrender: The West is preparing for the failure of negotiations and increased pressure

European leaders doubt the sincerity of Vladimir Putin’s intentions for peace, but support US President Donald Trump’s initiative to hold negotiations.

According to Politico , Europe believes that the upcoming summit could be a chance to expose the “Russian bluff” and strengthen the arguments for introducing new sanctions against Moscow.

French President Emmanuel Macron said before his visit to Washington: “Do I believe that Putin wants peace? No. Do I believe that Trump wants peace? Yes. But Putin wants to force Ukraine to surrender – that is his real goal.”

EU diplomats share Macron’s skepticism. One said: “If Putin proves he is not interested in ending the war, it will encourage Trump to act more decisively and become a basis for new sanctions.”

Despite this, the West supports the American initiative, seeing it as a “test of the Kremlin’s true intentions” and an opportunity to provide Ukraine with security guarantees to negotiate from a position of strength.

Trump himself admitted after meetings with Putin and Zelensky: “We’ll find out in the coming weeks whether Putin really wants to make a deal. Maybe not.”

At the same time, European capitals are already preparing for the possibility of the negotiations failing and are preparing a new package of sanctions, which could become a key tool for putting pressure on the Kremlin if the negotiation process drags on.

As a reminder, the European Commission stated that sanctions against Russia will remain in force and will be strengthened as long as the aggression against Ukraine continues . Brussels emphasizes: any negotiations without a real ceasefire will not change Europe’s position.

As reported, Russia seeks not just to seize part of Ukraine, but to establish complete control over the entire country and remove the democratically elected government, replacing it with a pro-Russian one.

By the way, the leaders of the European Union issued a joint statement after the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place on August 15 in Alaska. They welcomed the White House’s initiatives for a peaceful resolution to the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine.

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