Washington admits that peace talks in Ukraine have stalled

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged today that the peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by the US, had not been “fruitful” and were effectively on hold. “There are no such discussions taking place at the moment,” he said following a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, in southern Sweden.

“If we see an opportunity to bring about productive, rather than counterproductive, discussions that have a chance of bearing fruit, we are ready to play that role,” the US Secretary of State added. His remarks represent a rare acknowledgement from Washington that the talks he is leading have stalled, following several rounds of trilateral and bilateral meetings held in recent months without achieving a breakthrough.

Marco Rubio explained that he had "felt, over the past few months, that there had not been much progress", adding that the United States was ready to return to the table if the "dynamics were to change". Ukrainian and Russian officials have made a similar assessment, with the two sides remaining far apart on the issue of territories, and in particular on the Donbas.

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha, told reporters that the current format of the talks had reached its limits and called for a new impetus. This impetus could take the form of closer involvement from European partners, or a summit meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, he added. Several European leaders have raised the possibility of opening direct talks with Russia to help end the war, but they have not yet agreed on a common agenda or appointed a single representative to lead this initiative. The Kyiv Independent

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🇷🇺 Russia – 🇺🇦 Ukraine • At least six people have been killed, dozens injured and 15 are missing following a Ukrainian drone strike on a secondary school in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, Russian authorities said today. According to Vladimir Putin, 86 young people aged between 14 and 18 were in a dormitory that collapsed in Starobelsk during an attack carried out “in three waves, using 16 drones”.

🇺🇸 United States – 🇵🇱 Poland • NATO foreign ministers sought to clarify the US announcements. Marco Rubio confirmed that there would be “eventually fewer US troops” in Europe, describing this development as hardly surprising. Donald Trump once again caught his allies off guard by announcing the deployment of 5,000 additional troops to Poland, following the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany, a move described as “not punitive”. The Europeans, who are preparing to unveil a series of arms contracts, are hoping for a “structured” withdrawal ahead of the Ankara summit in July.

🇱🇻 Latvia – 🇱🇹 Lithuania • Latvia and Lithuania reported yesterday that drones had entered their airspace, prompting NATO to deploy its fighter jets and the authorities to urge the public to take shelter. Since March, drones belonging to the Ukrainian army, which is stepping up its long-range strikes against Russia, have been detected over Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The Baltic states accuse Moscow of jamming the guidance systems of these drones, whilst the Kremlin claims they are being launched from their own territory.

🇺🇦 Ukraine – 🇧🇾 Belarus • Ukraine has deployed “unprecedented” forces in the north of the country, near the Belarusian border, citing the threat of a new attack from the territory of this Russian ally. President Volodymyr Zelensky, who visited Slavutych, warned that Minsk and Moscow must “feel that there will be consequences”. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has assured that his country will not be drawn into the war, except in the event of aggression, whilst stating he is ready to defend Russia. A Ukrainian military expert, however, considers such an offensive ‘unlikely’, given the lack of a concentration of forces on the Belarusian side.

🇩🇪 Germany – 🇺🇦 Ukraine • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has proposed granting Kyiv “associate member” status within the European Union, which he describes as a “decisive step” towards full membership. In a letter to EU leaders, he stated that it would be impossible to complete the accession process in the near future. This status would allow Ukraine to participate in certain European Council meetings and to have an “associate” commissioner and MEPs, without voting rights. Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, is calling for “full membership”, preferably by 2027.

🇬🇱 Greenland – 🇺🇸 United States • Hundreds of Greenlanders demonstrated in Nuuk following the opening of the new US consulate premises, holding up placards reading “We are not for sale” in protest against Donald Trump’s ambitions regarding this autonomous Danish territory. The uninvited US envoy, Jeff Landry, said it was “time for the United States to make its mark on Greenland”, citing opportunities to move “from dependence to independence”.

🇪🇺 European Union • The European Union will suspend customs duties on several nitrogen fertilisers, such as urea and ammonia, for one year, in order to limit the effects of the war in Iran. Global fertiliser prices have soared since the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a third of the world’s fertiliser trade passes.

🇲🇽 Mexico – 🇪🇺 European Union • Mexico and the European Union have signed a long-delayed free trade agreement, in order to reduce their dependence on the United States and Donald Trump’s tariffs.

🇹🇷 Turkey • A court in Ankara has suspended the leadership of Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP, social-democratic), on appeal, overturning the election held in late 2023 due to “irregularities”. The court has decided to reinstate former leader Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, and accuses the current leader Özgür Özel of having benefited from pressure and vote-buying. “I will not give in,” Mr Özel responded. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Erdogan’s main rival, has been in prison for over a year.

🇱🇧 Lebanon – 🇮🇱 Israel • The Lebanese authorities accuse Israel of carrying out a veritable “urban genocide” in the south of the country, obliterating dozens of towns and villages. More than 50,000 buildings are reported to have been destroyed or damaged since the start of the Israeli incursions on 2 March, along with 56,000 hectares of farmland. In Bint Jbeil, more than 75% of which has been razed to the ground, as in Yaroun, displaced residents are compiling satellite images and photographs to preserve the memory of their villages. The Israeli army claims to be targeting Hezbollah infrastructure. Most of the destruction took place during the “ceasefire” that came into effect on 17 April.

🇮🇱 Israel • The organisers of the “Global Sumud” flotilla to Gaza accuse Israel of numerous abuses against the arrested activists, including at least 15 cases of sexual assault, rape and dozens of broken bones. Several European countries, including Spain, Italy and Germany, have confirmed that some of their nationals were injured and hospitalised. The Israeli prison service has denied the allegations as “false and baseless”.

🇵🇸 Palestine • France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany have called on Israel to stop expanding its settlements in the West Bank, pointing out that they are “illegal” and that settler violence has reached “unprecedented levels”. The four countries have warned companies bidding for construction contracts, particularly on the E1 project, which would split the West Bank in two. They are “firmly” opposed to those advocating annexation and the forced displacement of Palestinians, and are calling for the lifting of financial restrictions imposed on the Palestinian Authority.

🇮🇷 Iran – 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates • Iran has announced that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz now requires authorisation from a new “Persian Gulf Strait Authority”, whose jurisdiction extends to the waters south of the Emirati port of Fujairah. Abu Dhabi has denounced this as a “pipe dream” and any infringement of its maritime sovereignty. Faced with the virtual paralysis of this strategic waterway, the International Energy Agency has warned that the oil market could tip into the “red zone”, with a supply shortage in July or August if there is no lasting resolution to the conflict. More than a billion barrels of Gulf exports are reported to have already been lost.

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo • The World Health Organisation considers the risk of an Ebola epidemic to be “very high” for Central Africa, but “low” globally. This 17th outbreak in the country, declared an international health emergency, is suspected to have caused 139 deaths out of nearly 600 probable cases, in eastern provinces that are difficult to access and plagued by violence from armed groups. The variant in question, Bundibugyo, has no approved vaccine or treatment. On the ground, in both Bunia and Rwampara, there is a severe shortage of staff and equipment. One case and one death have been recorded in Uganda.

🇺🇸 United States • Donald Trump’s opponents accuse him of taking corruption to a new level, following a deal struck with the US tax authorities and endorsed by one of his former lawyers. This settlement creates a $1.776 billion compensation fund for the president’s supporters who were prosecuted under Joe Biden’s presidency, and shields his family and businesses from any tax recovery.

🇺🇸 United States – 🇨🇺 Cuba • Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that the United States is “determined” to bring about change in Cuba, following the indictment in Miami of former President Raúl Castro for an assassination plot dating back more than 30 years. The indictment is fuelling speculation about possible action against the island, similar to the arrest of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro in January.

🇭🇳 Honduras • At least 25 people have been killed in Honduras in two attacks attributed to organised crime. President Nasry Asfura has vowed to track down the perpetrators, whilst Parliament has just passed reforms to curb crime, including military support for public security.

🇧🇴 Bolivia • Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz has announced a cabinet reshuffle following several weeks of protests calling for his resignation. In power for six months, he faces farmers, workers and miners who are stepping up roadblocks and marches, whilst the country is going through its worst economic crisis since the 1980s.