Sánchez calls for Ukraine’s support to “strengthen its position in talks with Russia”

Eduardo González The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, participated this Thursday in Paris in the meeting convened by French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss peace and security for Ukraine, where he warned of the need to continue supporting Ukraine in order to strengthen its position in the talks with Russia promoted by US President Donald Trump. The meeting, held at the Élysée Palace (seat of the French Presidency), brought together around twenty European leaders, representatives from Turkey and Canada, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; the President of the European Council, António Cista; and the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte. During his speech, according to a press release from Moncloa, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of maintaining pressure on Russia to consolidate a ceasefire that lays the foundations for a just and lasting peace. He reiterated that Ukraine's security is also Europe's security. He warned of the need to maintain support for Ukraine to strengthen its position in the talks being promoted by the United States. "The meeting was a further demonstration of support for the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as a renewed sign of unity around the Ukrainian people," Moncloa declared. "It also reaffirmed Europe's commitment to actively contribute to ensuring that, once the agreement is reached, peace becomes permanent." Last Thursday, at the end of the European Council meeting in Brussels, Emmanuel Macron announced the convening of a new summit of the "coalition of the willing" as a follow-up to the initiative launched in Paris on February 17 and with the aim of "identifying operational options in support of US efforts." According to the Elysee Palace, at the end of the meeting, participants discussed the immediate reinforcement of aid to Ukraine, ways to implement and extend a ceasefire, long-term support for Ukraine and its army, and the necessary security guarantees for Ukraine. "The common goal of all is to achieve a solid and lasting peace in Ukraine, while respecting the security interests of Ukrainians and Europeans," the French Presidency stated. During the post-summit press conference, Macron announced that France and the United Kingdom have agreed to send a Franco-British delegation to Ukraine to work closely with the country's authorities on long-term military capability planning, with a particular focus on restructuring and strengthening its armed forces. Peace talks The peace talks have received new impetus following the agreement reached between Washington and Kyiv in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to request a provisional 30-day ceasefire, with the option to extend it by mutual agreement between both parties, and to resume US security and intelligence assistance to Ukraine. Trump later presented the agreement reached in Saudi Arabia to Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the White House, the leaders agreed that “the path to peace will begin with a ceasefire on energy infrastructure, followed by negotiations to implement a maritime ceasefire (in the Black Sea), a comprehensive ceasefire, and ultimately a lasting peace.” Despite this agreement, both sides have continued to attack each other with drones and missiles. On Wednesday, after three days of talks with the United States, Russian and Ukrainian delegations pledged in Riyadh to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea and to prohibit the use of force and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the region. These measures seek to reduce tensions and prevent potential confrontations, fostering a more stable and secure environment in the region. The United States has pledged to support Ukraine in negotiations for the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. Regarding Russia, Washington will work to guarantee its access to the global market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, including by reducing maritime insurance costs, improving access to international ports, and optimizing payment systems to expedite transactions. Washington has also pledged to continue facilitating negotiations in line with the agreements reached in Riyadh. Russia, for its part, has expressed its intention to move toward a "lasting peace," although it has conditioned any agreement on the "complete suspension of foreign military aid and military intelligence to Ukraine." In this regard, Pedro Sánchez denounced, in the press conference following the European Council, Russian President Vladimir Putin's "delaying maneuvers" to "continue his neo-imperialist objectives."

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