Europe looks for a lead negotiator to talk to Putin on Ukraine
EU officials fear US President Donald Trump dislikes Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy too much to push for a fair peace. Meanwhile, the US plans to offer Russian President Vladimir Putin face-to-face talks.
European Union officials are worried that US President Donald Trump simply likes Russian leader Vladimir Putin more than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Politico Europe. After 20 months of upheaval in transatlantic relations, EU officials fear Trump dislikes Ukraine's leader too much to push for a fair peace in the war Russia started.
Offer of a meeting
Politico also points to recent developments. The United States plans to offer Putin face-to-face talks with Zelenskyy and Trump. Steve Witkoff is due to fly to Russia on Wednesday for discussions about peace proposals.
Dispute over frozen assets
Another issue mentioned in the coverage is Russia's frozen assets. Several EU leaders want to revive the bitter debate over raiding them to fund Ukraine's war effort. Politico describes the alliance between Trump and Putin as a threat that could strain the EU's resolve on Ukraine.
The source material gives no further detail on how Europe might choose a chief negotiator, so this report rests on the headlines and summaries Politico has published on the subject.
