APR 24, 2025
Instead of placing troops near the front lines, the U.K. and France now reportedly aim to send military trainers to western Ukraine, fulfilling a commitment to deploy personnel without engaging in direct defense roles.
kyivindependent.com
The original plan, which included protecting Ukrainian cities, ports, and nuclear power plants, is being reconsidered in favor of a more limited and strategic presence. A source involved in the discussions
told the Times, "The risks are too high and the forces inadequate for such a task. This was always the U.K.’s thought. It was France who wanted a more muscular approach."
On March 15, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer presented plans to
send 10,000 peacekeeping troops to Ukraine at a high-level virtual summit in London. ...
Instead of placing troops near the front lines, the U.K. and France now aim to send military trainers to western Ukraine, fulfilling a commitment to deploy personnel without engaging in direct defense roles.
"If one country in Europe is forced to give up parts of its legal territory... no country in Europe or elsewhere can feel safe, NATO or no NATO," one diplomat told CNN.
kyivindependent.com
Trump, when asked what Russia would give up in exchange, responded: "Stopping the war, stopping [from] taking the whole country,
pretty big concession."
The remark has unsettled many diplomats, with one Eastern European official warning that the framework threatens the integrity of international law: "This is very much about our own existence and the weakening of any safeguards that my or other countries have for our own independence."
"If one country in Europe is forced to give up parts of its legal territory... no country in Europe or elsewhere can feel safe, NATO or no NATO," the diplomat told CNN.
European Commission President Von der Leyen emphasized that the roadmap, set to be announced in two weeks, will lay out concrete steps to eliminate the bloc’s reliance on energy supplies from Russia.
kyivindependent.com
Von der Leyen
emphasized that the roadmap, set to be announced in two weeks, will lay out concrete steps to eliminate the bloc’s reliance on
energy supplies from Russia.
The strategy was originally planned for publication in March, but was
postponed due to rising uncertainty over U.S. President
Donald Trump’s proposed
tariffs.
“For decades, I must say, we failed to recognize the costs that came with this dependence,” she said, referencing
Europe's former overreliance on Russia, which once supplied 45% of the EU’s gas, half of its coal, and nearly a third of its oil.
“It has to be a compromise,” he said. “De facto this peace should come down to the fact that neither side will be able to say it won this war. Ukraine will also have to step down in some sense, because that’s what will probably happen.”
kyivindependent.com
Ukraine will have to make some compromises to reach a peace deal with Russia, Polish President Andrzej Duda said in an interview with Euronews on April 24.
“It has to be a compromise,” he said. “De facto this peace should come down to the fact that neither side will be able to say it won this war. Ukraine will also have to step down in some sense, because that’s what will probably happen.”
The Polish leader also said pressure on
Russia is “the only thing” that could forge a lasting peace, though he warned it “will not be comfortable for either side.”
The Ukrainian delegation raised the issue with the U.S. Treasury officials during negotiations on April 23, according to Reuters. Ukraine intends to continue lobbying for the initiative at an upcoming meeting with the International Monetary Fund, Pyshnyy said.
kyivindependent.com
The Ukrainian delegation raised the issue with U.S. Treasury officials during negotiations on April 23, according to Reuters. Ukraine intends to continue lobbying for the initiative at an upcoming meeting with the International Monetary Fund, Pyshnyy said.
“Is there a mechanism to get access to these assets, to turn them into the source to cover the losses and damages of Ukraine and to fuel its resilience? The answer is very simple, yes,” Pyshnyy said at the 2025 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group.
“The position of France is clear and will not change. We stand for sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with international law,” Macron said. “We will continue to defend the Ukrainian people’s right to live in peace on their territory and within their internationally recognized...
kyivindependent.com
The United States' frustration over stalled peace talks on the war in Ukraine should be aimed solely at Russian President Vladimir Putin, not Kyiv, French President Emmanuel Macron said on April 24, the French television network BFM TV reported.
Macron added that France
continues to “welcome the efforts made by American diplomacy” but emphasized the need to “recall the facts.”
“The position of
France is clear and will not change. We stand for sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with international law,” Macron said. “We will continue to defend the Ukrainian people’s right to live in peace on their territory and within their internationally recognized borders.”
"Russia does not like the alliance around Ukraine, because Ukraine, if it is alone, is an easier target for Russia," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
kyivindependent.com
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 24 that Russia had expected the previous day's peace talks in London to unravel into a major scandal, but instead Ukraine and its allies showed a shared commitment to work towards peace.
"Yesterday, there was a meeting in London, and European countries were present, including Ukraine, Britain, France, Germany, and the United States," Zelensky said during a
press conference in South Africa on April 24.
"It was not easy, but it was constructive. It ended not with disagreements, but with a desire to work further."
According to Reuters, Kyiv submitted a document to European partners on April 22 reaffirming that it would not enter negotiations on territorial issues until a "full and unconditional
ceasefire" is achieved.
www.independent.co.uk
