EU defence commissioner ironically agrees with Putin on removing war's "root causes"

European Union Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius responded on the social platform X to the Russian leader's repeated statement about the need to remove the "root causes" of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Kubilius wrote that this is the first time he agrees with Putin — the real "root causes" of the war should indeed be removed. However, he clarified that the actual root causes, in his view, are Putin himself and his decisions: the occupation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The commissioner's remark followed a meeting in Moscow between the Russian leader and negotiators sent by US President Donald Trump, during which the Kremlin chief again stressed that removing the war's "root causes" was the most important issue.

Talks continue in Kyiv

Trump's representatives held meetings in Moscow on September 5 and arrived by train in Kyiv on September 6. Around 2:20 p.m., Ukraine's president announced that talks had begun. Beforehand, the delegations were shown the interior of St. Sophia's Cathedral.

In addition to Trump's special envoys, national security advisers from the so-called European troika — France, Britain and Germany — are also in Kyiv to take part in the negotiations.