Europe Today: Putin says Ukraine war may end soon, proposes ex-German chancellor as mediator

18 hours ago

Europe Today: Putin says Ukraine war may end soon, proposes ex-German chancellor as mediator

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00:14Good morning. It is Monday the 11th of May. I'm Maeve McMahon and this is Europe Today.

00:21Your daily date with European news and analysis live here on Euronews.

00:25Coming up, EU foreign ministers gather in Brussels for talks on the ongoing war in the Middle East.

00:32Joined by Canada's foreign minister, Anita Adnan, they'll be discussing the diplomatic deadlock between the US and Iran

00:39after President Trump slammed Iran's counter-proposals as, quote, totally unacceptable.

00:45And while the European Union celebrated Europe Day on Saturday, the Kremlin staged its annual Victory Day parade in Moscow.

00:53President Putin defended Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine.

00:58He criticised NATO and also hinted that the conflict could be nearing an end.

01:02We'll debunk his speech.

01:04And Hungary has a new prime minister.

01:07In an inauguration ceremony that took a rather lively turn,

01:11Peter Mayer was sworn in to lead the country for the next four years.

01:16Excitement levels were so high that the stage literally turned into a dance floor.

01:20And the World Health Organization says there's no cause for panic after a cruise ship linked to the Hansa virus

01:27outbreak docked in Tenerife.

01:29Passengers must remain, though, in quarantine for 42 days.

01:34But foreign ministers are huddling, as I said, in Brussels today,

01:37just while Russia's Vladimir Putin has said he's ready to meet Ukraine's President Zelensky to discuss ending the full-scale

01:44war.

01:45For the latest, we can bring in now our Ukraine correspondent, Sasha Vakilina.

01:49Sasha, is there any evidence to back up this statement where Putin said that he's ready to end the war?

01:54None whatsoever in a nutshell, because he also continued saying that he believes victory has always been Russia's and will

02:02always be.

02:03So probably what Vladimir Putin meant when he addressed the parade on the 9th of May was the way he

02:09sees the ending of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine has not changed.

02:14He still wants Russia to win there, which is also interesting, given the fact that he actually gave that speech

02:21expressing that confidence that victory will be for Russia.

02:23At the parade, which had no heavy military equipment in a very scaled-down format, and also the parade, the

02:31ceasefire upon which was only possible thanks to Donald Trump.

02:36And tell me, was there anything new in the statement that he said, apart from that?

02:40There were a couple of aspects.

02:41And first of all, there was the fact that Putin actually said that he would be willing somehow to meet

02:47Volodymyr Zelensky.

02:49This is the first time that he actually says it.

02:51And there are a few interesting things about it.

02:53First of all, even the fact that he admitted that he would be willing to do so, because for years

02:59now, Putin has not been even recognizing Zelensky as president of Ukraine.

03:04So that's already a new thing there.

03:07And also, he said that the meeting could possibly take place in a third country.

03:12And this is indeed crucial.

03:14Now, Putin said a meeting in a third country is also possible, but only once final agreements have been reached

03:21on a peace treaty for a long-term historic perspective to take part in this event and sign a treaty.

03:26But it must be a final step.

03:30Now, one of the countries that I would like to mention right now would be Azerbaijan, because on the 25th

03:35of April, Volodymyr Zelensky visited Azerbaijan.

03:37And standing there next to President Ali, he actually said that he would be willing to meet with Putin in

03:43Azerbaijan.

03:44So there is this possibility there.

03:46And another thing is that Putin also said that he doesn't mind having an EU negotiator to help get closer

03:55to that moment.

03:56He did specify, though, that there could be any leader, according to him, who has not said any, quote, nasty

04:03things about Russia, unquote.

04:05And that he did float the idea of who could that be and who he wants to see as a

04:11negotiator.

04:11And here, he knows very well that that candidate is a no-go both for Ukraine and for the European

04:17Union.

04:17And Sasha Vakilin, that candidate you're mentioning, of course, is the former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

04:22Putin has said that he could be the right mediator in the Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

04:26And we want to hear now how Germans have been reacting to this idea.

04:30So we can head straight over to Berlin and bring in our correspondent, Laura Fleischmann.

04:34Good morning, Laura.

04:36Can you just remind our viewers this morning who Gerhard Schroeder is and why Vladimir Putin likes him so much?

04:44Good morning to you, too.

04:46And well, with Schroeder, Putin brings one of the most prominent and also most controversial political figures in Germany into

04:52play.

04:53Schroeder was the German Chancellor, a Social Democrat Chancellor from 1998 until 2005.

04:59And the relationship, the friendship between Putin and Schroeder goes way back.

05:03They've been friends even before his chancellorship.

05:06And during his time in office, they went to the sauna oftentimes together.

05:09This really shows how close they were.

05:11They visited each other's birthday parties.

05:13And Schroeder also called Putin a flawless Democrat.

05:17Some, however, called Schroeder one of the most important lobbyists of Putin and Russia here in Europe.

05:23But what is even more interesting is what happened after Schroeder's time in office.

05:27He started working for multiple Russian state energy companies such as Gazprom, Nord Stream 2 and also for Rosneft, which

05:35is now on the EU sanctions list.

05:37And he kept on defending his friendship to Putin, with Putin, stating that it might end the war between Russia

05:46and Ukraine and that he even tried to mediate between both parties.

05:50In 2022, he went to Istanbul and Moscow on his own without consulting the German government.

05:56However, this mediation attempt ended up failing.

05:59So it does come to no surprise that Russia and Putin are now floating the idea of Schroeder potentially mediating.

06:06And what is even more interesting is the timing of this proposal.

06:10Just recently, the EU Council President Antonio Costa stated that there might come a time when the EU and Russia

06:16will need to talk directly, to engage directly.

06:19However, he quickly added that now is not the time.

06:23So against this backdrop, it seems that Putin tries to influence the EU and tries to put pressure on in

06:29order to decide who is sitting at the table and when.

06:33And Laura, what have the reactions been to this in Germany?

06:36Are people taking this seriously?

06:40Well, the short answer is not really.

06:43The German government immediately rejected the proposal, stating that the offer is a sham.

06:48And furthermore, they added that it is part of the hybrid strategy of Russia trying to further divide the European

06:54Union.

06:55And there is already some division taking place here in Germany.

06:58The SPD, the party of Gerhard Schröder, stated that one should at least be open to the idea of him

07:05being a mediator.

07:06That is what the Speaker of Foreign Relations of the SPD stated.

07:10But in the past, the former party co-president of the SPD stated that Schröder is not really a statesman

07:18anymore and that he is more of a businessman pursuing his business interests.

07:23But what is even more important is whether Ukraine would even accept Schröder as a potential mediator, which is, of

07:29course, unlikely,

07:30since the Ukraine will likely not see Schröder as a neutral who serves both sides.

07:35So to summarise, Berlin sees this more as a political act and less as a genuine peace initiative.

07:42Laura Fleischmann, thank you so much for that live update there from the German capital.

07:47This is a topic, of course, that will be making an appearance at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting taking

07:52place today.

07:53For the view now from the Swedish government, I'm joined now on set by Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maria

07:59Malmer-Steunergaard.

08:00Great to have you back with us here on Europe Today.

08:02Good morning.

08:02Thank you. Good morning.

08:03So you're hearing these reports this morning of Gerhard Schröder potentially mediating between Ukraine and Russia.

08:09Would you trust him?

08:10Well, I want to begin in another end.

08:13I think the main problem is that Russia is not really interested in peace.

08:18They are trying different manoeuvres, but we need to keep our focus where it needs to be,

08:24and that is on increasing the pressure on Russia and increasing the support for Ukraine.

08:29So there's a lot more to be done, and these are things that will be discussed today.

08:33But yet, Antonio Costa has been saying recently that it is perhaps time to talk to Russia.

08:39We're hearing names floated like Emmanuel Macron or Georgia Maloney or Pedro Sanchez.

08:43Which person would you like to see?

08:45I'm not there yet.

08:46I think that sooner or later, we will have to talk to Moscow.

08:51But since Putin is not really interested in any serious peace talks,

08:58then I think we should, like I said, focus on changing the calculus to make him interested in that.

09:03And then we will have a discussion about how the forms...

09:07So how do you change the calculus? That's the question.

09:10Yes.

09:10So we need to increase the pressure on Russia.

09:13There is a lot more to be done on sanctions.

09:15I need to see the full-service maritime ban.

09:19And that is something that should be in a 21st sanctions package.

09:24And then we need to increase the support for Ukraine.

09:27I'm very pleased that we agreed upon the 90 billion euro loan.

09:31But this cannot be an excuse to do less bilaterally.

09:35So we need to continue to support Ukraine bilaterally and then add those 90 billions.

09:42Then that will make Ukraine a lot stronger.

09:45And we see how Russia is getting weaker and weaker, having problems recruiting new soldiers.

09:51And look at the big victory day.

09:54That was a very small victory day with no display of military hardware because the Kremlin was afraid of Ukrainian

10:04drones.

10:05And just bring us inside the council meeting today.

10:07How has the mood changed with the new government in Hungary and a new Hungarian foreign minister, Anita Orban?

10:12She won't be there today physically because she's having her hearing.

10:15But of course, will things change now when it comes to Ukraine?

10:19Well, I think there are a lot more smiles in the room nowadays.

10:24And better possibilities for Europe to be stronger and to act more swiftly, which is absolutely necessary.

10:32Not only to help Ukraine, but also to make sure that the EU becomes a stronger geopolitical player.

10:43And yes, I'm very hopeful that with the new Hungarian government, we will be able to make those decisions that

10:50are absolutely needed for Ukraine.

10:52But we'll see what happens in Bulgaria.

10:55And on your plates, of course, today, the diplomatic deadlock between the US and Iran.

11:00It feels sometimes like the EU is just staring at the Strait of Hormuz with absolutely no say in the

11:05matter and just hoping the problem will go away.

11:08Well, we are preparing for the next phase.

11:13So once we have a lasting ceasefire or a peace, then that is the time when Europe should bring assets

11:20and make sure that we keep the Strait open.

11:23Because that is so important for international trade and also for our growth.

11:28But we are not going to enter this war during these circumstances.

11:34But we are preparing and that is very important because we want to contribute.

11:38You want to contribute.

11:39And of course, you're opening a spy agency, I believe, in Sweden as a reaction to the full-scale war

11:43in Ukraine.

11:44Tell us about that.

11:44And do you have the voters on board, given this year you have big elections as well in Sweden?

11:48We have big elections.

11:49There is going to be a vote this summer on the new agency.

11:52I am convinced that this is something that should have been done a long time ago.

11:58We are now members of NATO.

12:00We align ourselves much more with the services of other countries.

12:04We need to develop technology a lot more, become better at looking into open source intelligence.

12:11And all of that is on the plate of the new agency.

12:15And on those elections taking place, Israel-Sweden relations will also play a big role.

12:20We know that Sweden did recognize the state of Palestine, but this decision could be reversed.

12:24Which camp are you in here?

12:26No, I think that we should not reverse that.

12:28I mean, we made our decision and people should be able to trust our decisions when it comes to foreign

12:33policy.

12:34So I don't see that there will be a change in that regard.

12:37However, I see the necessity to put more pressure on Israel because we are so worried about the development in

12:43Gaza.

12:44Not a lot of focus there right now because there is so much going on in the rest of the

12:49world.

12:49But the situation is still horrible for people living there.

12:54And the situation on the West Bank is deteriorating.

12:57So we need to put more pressure on Israel.

12:58And today you could sign off on sanctions on violent settlers in Israel.

13:02I hope we will be able to do that.

13:03But we should also move forward with sanctions on extremist ministers in the Israeli government.

13:10Okay, Minister.

13:11A lot, of course, on your plates today at that foreign ministers meeting.

13:14As always, thank you so much for coming in to us.

13:17But now, moving on.

13:18Brussels is still digesting the outcome of the local elections in the UK last week.

13:23That saw the former Brexiteer Nigel Farage rise through the ranks.

13:27Ten years on since the Brexit referendum.

13:29The question now is what this result will mean for EU-UK ties.

13:32And, of course, the political future of Labour's Keir Starmer.

13:35Our Jakob Janis takes a look.

13:39To the victor go the spoils.

13:41Nigel Farage's pro-Brexit reform UK party became the biggest winner of last week's English local elections,

13:47gaining over 1,400 council seats.

13:50We have absolutely stormed it.

13:53These are historic results.

13:55And as they were mostly gained from Labour, all attention turned to its leader.

14:00And I take responsibility.

14:02When voters send a message like this, we must reflect and we must respond.

14:10But is his time in number 10 already on the clock?

14:15Despite a massive Westminster majority,

14:18last Thursday's local election battering has left Starmer on notice.

14:22And, ironically, this majority makes him easier to criticize.

14:26His own party members feel safe breaking ranks because the government is not at immediate risk of falling.

14:32And ousting a Labour leader is much harder than a Tory.

14:35According to the Labour Party rulebook, rivals need 81 MPs to go public, just to trigger a vote.

14:43And while the trade unions and party members stay quiet,

14:47Starmer holds a structural shield that makes him safer than the headlines suggest.

14:52And with Britain's economy hurt post-Brexit, Starmer is pursuing a high-stakes pivot.

14:57At a recent summit in Armenia,

15:00he opened talks to join the EU 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine.

15:03And it seems to be a cash-for-play strategy.

15:06The UK helps to pay the interest in exchange for British defence firms accessing EU contracts.

15:13Ultimately, Starmer's future depends on how the next election is framed.

15:17If the conversation stays on the economy and close the ties to the EU,

15:21he's more likely to stay in power because public sentiment on Brexit has soured.

15:26But if the framing shifts to migration, Nigel Farage and Reform UK hold the advantage.

15:32And for now, the English public is left to see whether his grand vision for the country

15:37can survive a stark reality of local politics.

15:45Jakob Janis there on a story that's been closely watched here from Brussels.

15:49But now, just over one month or under one month after historic elections,

15:54Hungary's new Prime Minister, Béter Maillard, was sworn in on Saturday in Budapest,

15:58bringing an end to Viktor Orbán's 16 years in power.

16:02Tens of thousands of Hungarians gathered outside the iconic Parliament building in Budapest

16:06to celebrate the moment.

16:08For more now on what challenges face the new Prime Minister,

16:11I'm joined by our Hungarian correspondent, Sander Ziro.

16:14Now, so we're looking at those pictures there that quite frankly resemble a festival

16:17or a big, huge party, but huge expectations now on Béter Maillard.

16:21Their voters are euphoric, but the question, will he be able to deliver?

16:25Tell us more about this moment.

16:26Well, good morning.

16:28As you said, Béter Maillard made sure that everyone in Hungary

16:31during the weekend talks about his inauguration.

16:34They made a huge show, a huge festival out of these events.

16:39There was a children's corps playing in the chamber.

16:42Some deputies were crying, the minister was dancing,

16:46Béter Magyar made even the DJ.

16:48And then overnight there was a huge festival, a huge fiesta,

16:52celebrating the end of the Orbán's government

16:55and the start of the new government.

16:58Now for the substance, Béter Magyar said that this is not a simple change of government,

17:02but a change of system.

17:04And he's opening a new era in the Hungarian history.

17:08He criticized Orbán for his corruption and he warned for investigations against him.

17:16He also called for resignation of the Hungarian president, Tomás Súlyok,

17:21whom he called a puppet of Orbán.

17:23And he called for a new style of governance in Hungary.

17:28Let's take a listen of what he said.

17:34A country can be lifted up by a few courageous and honest decisions,

17:39but it can also be destroyed by selfishness and arrogance.

17:42That is precisely what I would like to state clearly here,

17:45in the House of Hungarian Democracy and Constitutionalism,

17:49that I will not rule over Hungary.

17:51I will serve my country.

17:52A very enthusiastic Péter Magyar there, the new prime minister of Hungary.

17:59But Chandler, what about Viktor Orbán?

18:00What is his legacy?

18:01He seems to have just disappeared from the political sphere.

18:04Exactly.

18:04He seems a little bit disappearing.

18:07And I feel like he's not taking this electoral defeat very lightly.

18:12So, for example, on Saturday, he was supposed to be in the parliament,

18:16having his farewell speech and handing over the power in person to Péter Magyar,

18:20but he didn't show up.

18:22He's also not taking his parliamentary mandate,

18:25which is highly unusual and not traditional in many aspects.

18:30But Orbán wants to continue his fight.

18:34He wants to stay as a head of the Fidesz Party.

18:37He wants to reorganize Fidesz Party.

18:40But there are cracks already on his legacy.

18:43And what we call the Orbán system is already cracking.

18:47There are many investigations running already against his associates,

18:51for example, for corruption or misuse of power.

18:56Many of his associates are trying to change sides

19:00and trying to get connected to the new government.

19:03And what is really remarkable,

19:05Orbán's media machine is largely silenced.

19:09All of these pro-Orbanist voices in the Hungarian media are disappearing.

19:14OK, Chandra Zeros, thank you so much for those insights.

19:17And we can read, of course, longer reads from Chandra Zeros

19:20on the challenges now facing Péter Magyar.

19:22But that does bring this Monday's edition of Europe Today to an end.

19:26Thank you so much for tuning in.

19:29Do reach out to us, drop us a line, tell us what you thought,

19:31or if you have any questions or comments,

19:34europetoday at euronews.com.

19:36That is our email address.

19:38Take care.

19:39Thanks again for watching.

19:40And see you very soon here on Euronews.

19:45Euronews.

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Europe Today: Putin says Ukraine war may end soon, proposes ex-German chancellor as mediator

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