Foreign ministers from the Nato member states met for a second day in Brussels on Friday amid increasing tensions between the US and the rest of the alliance, as well as a faltering push for peace in Ukraine.
While Nato has tried to show a united front as a military alliance, the US under President Donald Trump has kicked off a trade war with Europe and Canada by imposing numerous tariffs.
Nevertheless, on Friday European Nato members publicly admonished Russia for undermining the Ukraine peace deal put forward by Trump, in a clear attempt to persuade Washington to take a harder line on Moscow.
What did the European Nato members say about Russia?
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said Russian President Vladimir Putin had not been sincere in ceasefire talks with US representatives, calling his talk of negotiations “nothing by empty promises.”
She accused the Russian leader of “playing for time by raising ever new demands.”
The UK’s David Lammy took a similar line, saying Putin “continues to obfuscate, continues to drag his feet.”
“He could accept a ceasefire now, he continues to bombard Ukraine, its civilian population, its energy supplies. We see you, Vladimir Putin, we know what you are doing,” Lammy said.
French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot made an attempt to sweet talk the US, represented in Brussels by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying Russia “owes an answer to the United States, that have worked very hard to come up with a mediation effort and a ceasefire proposal.”
Responding to the comments from Washington’s European partners, Rubio said that they would know soon enough if Russia is playing for time.
“We will know from their answers very soon whether they are serious about proceeding with real peace or whether it’s a delay tactic. [If] it’s a delay tactic, the president’s not interested in that,” he said at a press briefing in Brussels.
What are the Nato plans for peace in Ukraine?
The Trump administration had sought to achieve a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, but Moscow said on Monday that any end to its invasion would be “a drawn-out process.”
Ukraine and Western military analysts believe that Russia is preparing to launch a fresh campaign as the winter season ends.
This is seen as a means to strengthen Moscow’s hand in any future ceasefire negotiations.
At the same time, France and the UK are leading a so-called “coalition of the willing” that seeks to put Nato soldiers on the ground in Ukraine to potentially police a future peace deal and act as a security guarantee for Ukraine.
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