The Guardian: Key European leaders say it is ‘not the time’ to start lifting sanctions against Russia … no chance for a Black Sea Ceasefire?

With regard to the peace negotiation efforts of the Trump Administration, European leaders, such as President Macron or PM Starmer, have refused to lift some sanctions against Russia. It is not the “right time”, the official statement says after the European leaders’ meeting in Paris – but representatives of the EU recently claimed that sanctions will be lifted only when Russia retreats from all occupied Ukrainian territory.

In the negotiations about a ceasefire on the Black Sea, Russia demanded that certain sanctions on Russia’s export of fertilizer and agricultural products shall be lifted, including sanctions on a Russian bank in that business.

European leaders will not lift these specific sanctions as the US-Russia deal requires and risk with their opposition that this partial ceasefire deal will not materialize. As a result, considering that the ceasefire deal will not be agreed, UK PM Starmer said that his country would increase help for Ukraine to “keep Ukraine in the fight”.

Shortly after the Paris meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing”, V Selensky, in a fiery speech, noted that the Black Sea ceasefire deal would be more beneficial to Russia. Selensky criticized the US: the US should have imposed more sanctions on Russia as Russia is not agreeing to an immediate ceasefire. Selensky, in particular, criticized the US Envoy for Ukraine Wittkoff, saying that he, as a “real estate diplomat”, has no application in a country at war – almost an insult against a top US officer.

Selensky said that Ukraine will never recognize any occupied territory as Russian – and will always demand their return.

Considering these statements, there is a rough wind for Donald Trump to find an agreement with Russia, even for a minor matter such as a limited ceasefire in the Black Sea. It is evident that the Ukrainian and European opposition to Trump’s negotiations are hindering to find a ceasefire and a peace deal – and the fighting continues in the same horrible way as before.