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Europe Today: Third round of Ukraine peace talks to kick off in Geneva
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READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2026/02/17/europe-today-third-round-of-ukraine-peace-talks-to-kick-off-in-geneva
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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00:14Good morning, it is Tuesday the 17th of February. I'm Maeve MacMahon and this is Europe Today.
00:22Your daily dose of European news and analysis live here.
00:28Almost four years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more peace talks are set
00:34to take place in Geneva today between the Russians and the Ukrainians. The stakes are high but
00:41expectations remain low with President Trump piling pressure on Ukraine to budge while Russia
00:47continues its bombardment on Ukrainian civilians. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio though did tell
00:53the Munich Security Conference that he is still uncertain whether Russia is genuinely serious
00:58about ending the war in Ukraine. For more, we're joined here on SESH by our Ukraine correspondent,
01:03Sasha Vakadin. Good morning, Sasha. Look, first, any expectations for the talks today in Geneva?
01:08Well, the talks are taking place after two rounds in Abu Dhabi. We do have the third round of two
01:14-day
01:14talks in Geneva. These are trilateral format. This is Ukraine, the US and Russia and this is very
01:21important that they are taking place. Now, we've heard from the Kremlin spokesperson,
01:24Dmitry Peskov, that he said that Moscow delegation intends to raise specifically the issues of
01:30territories, which is, of course, the most important sticking point there. When it comes
01:34to the Ukrainian delegation, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he intends also to raise the issue of
01:39possibility of energy ceasefire. Let's take a listen to what he had to say about that.
01:47The more evil Russia is, the more difficult it will be to reach an agreement with them.
01:52Our partners must be aware of this. This applies above all to the United States. Soon, we will
01:58mark a year of Ukraine's most active diplomacy. We have agreed to all of America's realistic
02:02proposals, starting with the proposal to ceasefire unconditionally and for the long term. Russia
02:08rejects this, continuing its assaults on the front lines and strikes on our cities and energy
02:13infrastructure.
02:19President Zelenskyy there. And meanwhile, President Zelenskyy is calling for more sanctions against
02:23Russia, Sasha. He is indeed in a bigger picture. What he's asking for the partners from the United
02:28States and from the European Union is to increase this pressure on Russia, because even on the day
02:33when the talks are starting in Geneva, this morning, Russia attacked Ukraine once again, specifically
02:38targeting civilian energy infrastructure in Western Ukraine. So he is asking to increase pressure.
02:44And this time, he said, with all of the sanctions that the United States already implemented on
02:48Rosneft and Lukoil, he says now it is time for Washington to sanction Russia's nuclear energy and also
02:55people involved. And here President Zelenskyy dropped the F word there on the F bomb May when he said it
03:02is
03:02time for the people involved to go away to Russia, go home. You don't respect anybody in the United
03:08States. You don't respect the rules. You don't respect democracy. You don't respect Ukraine or
03:13Europe. So he does insist that these people should be under sanctions and they should not be allowed to
03:19be making money and staying and financing the lifestyle of themselves, of their families in Europe
03:23and the United States, while at the same time also financing Russia's war against Ukraine.
03:28Okay. President Zelenskyy, they're not mincing his words. Sasha Vakilina, thank you so much for
03:34that update. And of course, this talk is taking place today in Geneva about Iran as well. So for
03:40more updates, do take a look at yournews.com and for more of Sasha Vakilina's reporting.
03:44But now, €5 billion. That's the amount member states of former US President Donald Trump's so-called
03:51Board of Peace have pledged for reconstruction and humanitarian efforts in Gaza. The European Union is
03:58considering joining as an observer. And the EU Commissioner Dubrovska-Suiza is set to travel
04:02to Washington DC for the Board's first ever meeting. This as Italy and Romania prepare to join as
04:09observers as well, stopping short of full membership. For more on Italy's motive, we can
04:13cross over to Rome now and bring in our correspondent, Giorgio Orlandi. Good morning,
04:18Giorgia. Thank you so much for joining us. And we understand there's a big debate scheduled
04:22today in Parliament over this. Tell us more.
04:27That's right, Maeve. So Italy's Foreign Minister, Tajani, is going to address Parliament on the
04:31government's decision to join Trump's proposed Board of Peace as an observer. Now, this proposal
04:37has been described by Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgio Meloni, as, quote, a good solution, because it
04:42would allow to overcome those constitutional issues that Italy could face as a full member.
04:48Tajani had a meeting with Salvini and Meloni yesterday to decide how to present this to
04:53Parliament, because clearly this is very crucial. The government has come under a lot of criticism
04:58lately. Tajani said and has repeated that Italy cannot join as a full member because this would
05:03go against the Constitution. He pointed to Article 11 of the Constitution, which says that Italy cannot
05:09be part of those organizations unless there are conditions of equality with other states,
05:14which would not apply here. But Tajani said, quote, that Italy will move forward as the EU. Now,
05:22it's interesting because according to reports in the Italian media, it's not yet clear who's going to
05:27travel to Washington. It's very possible that Tajani will travel to Washington instead of Meloni as a
05:34way for the country to maintain a relatively low profile compared with other countries. German Chancellor
05:40is not joining the board and is not traveling to Washington. The EU, as you mentioned, is sending
05:45the commissioner for the Mediterranean and Greece is sending the deputy foreign minister. So,
05:52clearly, Italy wants to maintain a low profile, but the main argument is Italy wants to be present
05:58no matter what, even symbolically. And this is sending shockwaves through Parliament. Italy's opposition
06:04parties say it goes against the Constitution and argue that Italy is the only G7 country that is
06:11joining the board, even as an observer. And they're saying that there should have been a proper
06:16parliamentary debate ahead of this decision. Maeve? We should expect some lively discussions today.
06:22But of course, Prime Minister Georgia Maloney here, she's trying to hold on to her position,
06:26Georgia, as the unofficial interlocutor between the EU and Trump.
06:31Indeed, Maeve. So, we know that when it comes to EU-US relations and this special relationship
06:36between Trump and Maloney, of course, Maloney has been trying to play this role as a mediator
06:42between the two sides. But the context here has slightly changed. I was speaking to a political
06:47analyst yesterday who told me that it's interesting to focus on who's not going to be there this time
06:53around. Germany is not going to be there. France is not going to be there. The EU said that as
06:58an institution, it will not join the board, raising questions over its governance and charter.
07:04So, clearly, it seems that Italy faces a very delicate balancing act here, potentially facing
07:11issues both internally and externally. And the question maybe is, is Maloney still in this role?
07:17And is Maloney acting in Italy's interests or the EU's? Well, the answer to that question is not there yet.
07:24We'll see what's going to happen. But clearly, according to observers, while consolidating this
07:29special relationship with Trump, Maloney should be really careful not to step away from multilateralism
07:35and weaken its position within the EU. Maeve?
07:39OK, Georgia Orlandi, our Rome correspondent. Thank you so much for that live update. And you
07:43mentioned, of course, Commissioner Suisa heading to DC this week. She'll be live with us very soon in the
07:48studio to update on that trip. But now, moving on, French President Emmanuel Macron is on a three-day
07:53visit to India to focus on defence, trade and AI. This Tuesday marks three weeks to the day since the
08:00EU signed the, quote, mother of all deals with Powerhouse India. With relations with the current
08:05US administration on ICE, Brussels was keen to get the deal over the line quickly, a 30-chapter document
08:12that took decades to finalise. For the latest, we can now cross over to the Indian Embassy right here
08:17in Brussels, where our EU news editor Maria Tadeo is standing by for us this morning. Good morning,
08:23Maria. What's the latest from the embassy there?
08:27Good morning, Maeve. And of course, India and our strategic relationship to the European Union,
08:31and you alluded to the summit taking place, hosted by Prime Minister Modi. But also, what is interesting
08:36is to see this major European delegation participating to the French President, but also the Spanish
08:43Prime Minister among the European delegation. And to debrief, I'm happy to say we're joined by
08:47India's ambassador to the EU. Ambassador Kumar, thank you very much for joining us on Euronews. I have
08:54to ask you about the summit in India, but before we get to that point, why this relationship now? Is
09:00it
09:01a necessity, or is there really strategic thinking between the ties of the EU and India?
09:06It definitely is strategic thinking. We live in a multipolar world today. EU and India are important
09:15poles in the configuration. And for us, it is important as two important poles of the multipolar
09:22global order to cooperate with each other, and not only for our mutual benefit, but for the global
09:29stability also.
09:30And just to pick up on that point, the reason why I asked, is this born out of necessity, or
09:35is it strategic, is because some would argue there's been much closer ties because of President Trump,
09:41and the chaos at some point that he's unleashed in some ways with tariffs, not just in India,
09:46but also in the European Union. But if I understand correctly, what you're saying is,
09:50regardless of who's in the White House, this is a relationship that will grow in time.
09:54Yeah. India-EU relationship stands on its own feet. Geopolitical environment, of course,
10:02has an impact on everything, but our relationship has its own merit.
10:08And on that point, you speak about the relationship. We were in India when this
10:12mother of all trade deals were signed. The two sides talked about a deal that is
10:17uncommon now in this geopolitical context, and that is a win-win. But for that to become a real win
10:22-win,
10:22you need to implement it. When are we going to see the deal being implemented,
10:26both in the European Union, but also to that extent, in India?
10:30We are ready. So as quickly as the EU is able to complete its internal processes,
10:37we would be in a position to sign the deal.
10:39Do you worry, however, about the speed when it comes to the different levels in Europe? The European
10:44Parliament has questions, of course. They always do, and that is part of the democratic process.
10:49But is this something that worries you that perhaps by 2027, we'll still talk about
10:54a hypothetical deal, not a real deal?
10:56No, we are very confident that the deal would be signed very quickly.
10:59And is there a timeline still that you're working with, a best-case scenario?
11:03It would be unfair on my part to speculate timelines. It is really for the European Union to decide.
11:11But my understanding is that both the sides would be working fast to
11:16see that this deal is signed as quickly as possible.
11:19And Ambassador, this week, as I mentioned at the start, there is a big European delegation in
11:25India. There is an AI summit that will be taking place. And of course,
11:28the French President is part of that delegation there for three days. To me, and I just came back
11:34from the Munich Security Conference, there's this term that I hear a lot, and that is de-risking
11:38the European economy, both now from China, but also the United States, which is funny and unthinkable
11:43a few years ago. What role can India play? Because to me, it seems this is what this trip is
11:48about,
11:48is de-risking the European economy.
11:52Over-dependencies are not good.
11:55There is need to have redundancies built in supply chains, to have multiple options,
12:02and the consequences of over-concentration of supply chain, both of the sides, both of us,
12:09and in fact, the world at large has experienced. So I think the India-EU FTA is very, very important,
12:17also from the point of view of de-risking our respective economies, building in redundancies,
12:25having more manufacturing options. And I think in this respect, also, I think the deal would
12:33serve a very useful purpose. Ambassador, beyond, and of course, this AI summit seems to now signal
12:40that this is a relationship that goes not just straight, but is going to go into potential
12:44technology, and most crucially, defense. For India, it is also a geopolitical complex moment
12:51in a neighborhood that is difficult to handle. We've seen also India purchase big weapons from
12:56the French, in particular. Do you look at this relationship as one that becomes almost
13:01defensive at some point?
13:04So let me tell you, we have around 20 presidents and prime ministers participating in the AI summit,
13:12and of them, 11 are from Europe. So that speaks for itself. Technology and defense, I think, are a very,
13:20very important area. A lot of progress was made, both on the technological front as well as on the defense
13:30side during the recently concluded summit, which opens a new phase in India-EU relationship. So you're
13:37right in saying that, as we go further, defense, particularly defense industries, and the
13:44technological aspect would become more and more critical and important to India-EU relationship.
13:50Well, Ambassador Kumar, thank you very much. Of course, that weekend, that trip that we'll be
13:55monitoring on Euronews, the French president, but also the Spanish prime minister, is a relationship that
13:59goes now beyond trade. But interestingly now, it's becoming more and more defensive with big
14:05contracts, of course, for European companies looking to sign in India. Maeve?
14:09Okay, Maria Tadeo, thank you so much for that. And of course, to the Ambassador Kumar as well for
14:13joining us. Now, after a busy weekend at the Munich Security Conference, the US Secretary of State,
14:18Marco Rubio, has moved on to Central Europe, namely Budapest. With elections coming up in
14:23Hungary in April, Marco Rubio was keen to show his support for current Prime Minister,
14:28Viktor Orban, who's losing ground in the polls to his opponent, Peter Mayer. For more,
14:32our Hungarian correspondent, Sándor DÃros, joins me now in the studio. Sándor,
14:36bring us up to speed first on this Marco Rubio-Orban get-together in Budapest.
14:41Good morning, Maeve. So first of all, Marco Rubio made a mini trip to Central Europe. He visited
14:47Robert Fico in Slovakia, and then he went to Hungary to see Viktor Orban. Those are two Trump-supporting
14:53leaders, and they are very, very critical towards Brussels. So this is the ideological context.
14:59And for Hungary, it was clearly a campaign visit. He delivered a supportive message to Orban from
15:06Donald Trump. He said that the US-Hungarian relations are in a golden era, and this is extremely
15:12beneficial to the Hungarians. He said that Hungary could even get a financial package if the country
15:19would ever be in trouble. And he framed it, this is only because of the friendship between Trump and
15:26Orban. So we don't know whether or not Trump will visit in person Hungary during the campaign. It's
15:32not confirmed. But Rubio already delivered the message and he also said to Orban that we want
15:38you to continue. Take a look of what he said. President Trump is deeply committed to your success
15:44because your success is our success. Because this relationship we have here in Central Europe through
15:49you is so essential and vital for our national interests in the years to come.
15:54Marco Rubio there. And Sander, how will President Trump's support for Orban impact the elections?
15:59And also tell us, how is Peter Maillard doing? He seems a little bit emboldened after that scandal
16:04we discussed just last week. Well, it's not clear for the moment whether or not Trump's support will
16:09impact the Hungarian electoral campaign and the voters. But one thing is sure that Viktor Orban
16:15clearly focuses on foreign affairs. He doesn't deal with domestic issues, but he's always talking
16:21about how the geopolitical instability impacts Hungary and Hungary needs stability, which he represents.
16:29And he often argues that he is friends with Trump, he knows Putin very well, so he's a safe choice.
16:35And now talking about the campaign, it's not clear, you know, how this will impact. But there was one
16:46very interesting journalistic question at the press conference. They asked Orban whether or not he will
16:53give up power if he's losing elections. And here is what he had to say.
16:57I spent 16 years as leader of opposition. What does it mean? It means that sometimes I lose,
17:03sometimes I win. So don't afraid what will be if we are not winning, because it regularly happened
17:09here at least four times already. Victor Orban there. And before that was that was our
17:14Chandler Zeros reporting. But now it is time to park politics for a moment and focus on something
17:20completely different, a topic that might tickle your curiosity if you dream of a European career in
17:25the EU institutions. This year's EPSO is finally opening its largest recruitment drive ever.
17:31Leticia Batista and Jakub Janus report.
17:36Is seven a big number? Taking seven months to land a job in the EU quarter is sometimes
17:42considered a speed run. But a seven year wait for the EU's biggest job exam, that's an eternity.
17:49And it has been seven years since the last massive general entry level recruitment exam for the EU
17:56institutions. And all EU citizens are welcome to apply, but the competition is fierce. So before you
18:03pack your bags for Brussels, here is your survival guide to Europe's most elite exam.
18:10About 50 000 people are expected to apply before the 10th of March deadline. So get in line. And there
18:18are
18:18only 1 400 spots, meaning the success rate is a brutal 3%. Ouch! And to win, candidates must survive
18:28rigorous online tests in reasoning and in deep EU knowledge. But the prize is a famous EU contract for
18:35life with a starting salary of nearly 6 000 euros. And that money is subject to internal EU institutions tax,
18:44but completely exempt from national income taxes. However, the testing system itself is quite controversial.
18:52Recent tech glitches and AI translation errors actually voided 10 000 exam results. And that's a lot.
19:00Finally, the results show a geographic imbalance. 15 countries, including Poland and Germany, are simply
19:07not getting a fair share of EU jobs based on their population size.
19:11So, does this whole setup even make sense anymore? In a recent Euronews survey, most respondents actually
19:19said no to the idea of EU jobs for life, arguing they shouldn't depend on a single one-off exam.
19:27But if you are taking the test this March, good luck! And let's just hope the exam's AI translator is
19:34having a good day this time.
19:40Well, that does bring this edition of Europe Today to an end. Thank you so much for your company,
19:45as always. See you again tomorrow, same place and same time.
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