Diplomats from Europe engage Trump prior to their encounter with Putin
As the Ukrainian conflict continues to escalate, a significant videoconference is set to take place at 3 PM (9 AM EST) on August 12, 2022. The meeting will include the heads of the EU and NATO, as well as the leaders of Ukraine and the United States, with Donald Trump and J.D. Vance expected to participate.
The discussions are expected to focus on exerting pressure on Russia, preparing for possible peace negotiations, territorial claims, and security guarantees. However, the road to resolution remains challenging, with the Russian military actively advancing in northeastern Ukraine.
Russian forces have made gains in the region, seizing locations such as Bezsalivka and Oleksiivka, and engaging in fighting near the Russian border regions like Kursk and Bryansk Oblasts due to Ukrainian counter-operations and sabotage attempts. According to reports, the Russian military now occupies about 20% of Ukraine, a significant territorial control change.
The humanitarian impact of the conflict has been devastating. Over 40,000 civilian casualties have been reported, millions have been displaced internally and externally, and extensive destruction from Russian missile and drone strikes has been concentrated mainly in eastern and southern Ukraine.
International diplomatic efforts have been ongoing, with major powers like the United States actively involved in trying to negotiate an end to the conflict. Former U.S. President Donald Trump had meetings aimed at achieving a ceasefire but without concrete results. Meanwhile, Russia has been bolstering its military capabilities in alliance with Belarus and escalating drone and missile attacks on Ukraine.
Alexei Fadeev, a Russian Foreign Ministry official, dismissed European consultations with Washington as insignificant and accused the European Union of sabotaging the diplomatic efforts of Washington and Moscow to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. Steffen Meyer, a spokesperson for the German government, stated that a real and secure ceasefire is necessary before any genuine discussions and negotiations can occur.
Following the videoconference, Messrs. Zelensky and Merz are expected to make a statement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously called on his allies to counter any "Russian deception" before traveling to Berlin. Moscow demands that Kyiv cede four partially occupied regions and renounce Western arms deliveries and any NATO membership aspirations.
The meeting comes after the Anchorage meeting, which was described as an "exercise in listening for the president" by Donald Trump's spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt. The outcome of this latest conference remains uncertain, but the international community continues to strive for a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis.
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