Major update on Russia Ukraine peace talks as Putin still ‘No.1 threat to West’ | World | News
It has been claimed that Ukraine and Russia have been “closer to peace” for almost four years; but a senior European leader still warned against Vladimir Putin’s plans to oppose the West.
Sir Keir Starmer is taking part in urgent talks in Berlin today aimed at ending the debilitating war.
These talks coincide with Ukraine’s punishing new night attacks on key Russian infrastructure aimed at showing Vladimir Putin the cost of continuing the conflict.
Influential president of Finland Alexander Stubb – seen close to him Donald Trump – said: “I think we are at a critical moment in the peace negotiations and at the same time we are probably closer to a peace agreement than we have been at any time during these four years.”
Stubb, who is also in Berlin today, warned that Putin remains a major danger, which means the deal must include vital security measures.
“Russia is the number one threat to Europe and indeed to the Western world,” he said.
Trump’s war envoy Steve Witkoff said the first five-hour meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday yielded “a lot of progress.”
Zelensky was ready to sacrifice NATO membership (an important “compromise”) for the sake of US-led Western security guarantees.
At the same time, it is preparing to hold elections in Ukraine, which is an important request of Russia.
Three important documents are at the center of the peace talks, Stubb said.
The first of these is a framework document outlining the proposed 20-article peace plan.
The second is a draft covering security guarantees for Ukraine.
Third, a package of measures for the reconstruction of Ukraine after 46 months of war.
But Russia has so far shown no willingness, arguing that changes to the earlier peace plan are “unlikely to be constructive” and are expected to raise “strong objections” from Moscow.
Many analysts doubt Putin’s interest in the solution.
MI6’s new chief, Blaise Metreweli, has warned that the frontline against Russia is “everywhere” and Putin is seeking to “export chaos”.
But warmonger Putin is already subject to debilitating attacks from Ukraine that are causing fuel price increases and shortages across Russia.
Footage of Ukrainian special forces’ drone attack on a fuel train in Russian-occupied Crimea has emerged.
According to reports, the fuel was to be sent to Putin’s war machine.
Volna-2, an electronic warfare station, was shot down in the occupied Donetsk region.
A barrage of at least 15 drones in Moscow led to the closure of two city airports – Domodedovo and Zhukovsky.
A large gas facility exploded in Astrakhan in southern Russia.
It was reported that a Ukrainian missile attack on Russia’s border region Belgorod hit the Luch Thermal Power Plant.
It was reported that the Novoshakhtinsk Petroleum Products Factory was targeted in Rostov.
