Europe will help the Armed Forces of Ukraine quickly restore combat capability after the ceasefire with Russia
Europe will help the Ukrainian army quickly restore combat readiness, as the ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, if it is achieved at all, will not last forever. This was stated by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius after a meeting with colleagues from France, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom in Rome (E5 format, "Group of Five"), Ukrinform reports.
"The message from the Group of Five and others is clear and unambiguous: Europe and its allies will continue to stand firmly and loyally by Ukraine's side. We will strongly support it in the future," the German official said.
According to Pistorius, it is necessary to think today about what to do "on the very first day" after the start of a possible ceasefire, if it can be achieved, which does not seem realistic at the moment.
"This should not come as a surprise, and we will not be surprised. We are preparing for this," the official noted.
Also, he added, the ceasefire will not last forever and will not provide unlimited time for negotiations to establish a true peace.
Pistorius emphasized: "The ceasefire must be successful, and the work of the "Coalition of the Willing" in recent weeks and months is very important. And it is clear that the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the period after the ceasefire ends must be able to recover quickly and thoroughly. And we will […] accompany this process through material support and training."
According to the government official, it is necessary to think about what this ceasefire might look like, how to ensure its observance, who and to what extent can take responsibility for observation. The minister noted that "very constructive negotiations" are underway on these issues.
In addition, he emphasized that the whole world witnessed how dictator Vladimir Putin, who had previously spoken of his readiness to start negotiations, did not appear in person in Istanbul, refused to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and instead sent the "third echelon" of his representatives to the negotiations.
"This demonstrates very clearly, and no further words are needed, that he [Putin] is not at all interested in ending this aggressive war at this time, which he could do with just an order, that he has no interest in starting the process, which could be done by negotiating a ceasefire with Volodymyr Zelenskyy," Pistorius explained.
The minister noted that the Russian dictator is demonstrating his lack of interest in a peaceful settlement by developing aggression on the battlefield and continuing air strikes.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Umerov, reported that the parties discussed the issue of a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange in the 1,000-for-1,000 format, as well as a potential meeting between President Zelensky and dictator Putin.
- The aggressor country's chief negotiator, Medinsky, stated that Ukraine and Russia would "present their vision" of a possible ceasefire, "write it down in detail," and then return to further negotiations.
President Zelenskyy and European leaders had a telephone conversation with US President Trump: the Ukrainian head of state emphasized that pressure on Russia must be maintained until Russia is ready to end the war.
