00:00It's been a very busy five days, hasn't it, with regards to diplomacy and the efforts to bring about an end to this war in Ukraine.
00:08Are you encouraged by what you've been seeing and hearing by way of the diplomatic efforts made by the Trump administration?
00:16Yes, I am. I'm very encouraged that by two things.
00:20One is that the Europeans and the US are now working.
00:26If they're not on the same page, they're in the same chapter, at least.
00:29There are bound to be some disagreements on the policy and the terms of the settlement and so on.
00:34But by and large, they seem to be on the same page, if not the same chapter.
00:38I'm also encouraged that President Zelensky has been included in this.
00:44He's part. It's a multilateral atmosphere in which these talks are taking place.
00:49And that's vital because Russia and Ukraine and the US are not the only stakeholders.
00:56This is a European security problem and the European leaders need to be deeply engaged.
01:02There's another reason, and that is that the US has said they won't put boots on the ground and they won't get directly engaged in this.
01:08As regards security guarantees for whatever peace agreement or ceasefire agreement is landed on.
01:16And therefore, it requires the Europeans to be directly engaged, particularly in setting the conditions and then the mission for whatever security guarantees, particularly on the ground in the region, are made.
Be the first to comment