by Kamran Gasanov
[REGNUM] For almost a year, Europe has been trying by all means to stop Donald Trump's dialogue with Russia. In Brussels' ideal worldview, the US would have increased sanctions against Russia, ignored the Kremlin, and extracted concessions from Moscow, including the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The plan failed.
Three key meetings—in Riyadh, Anchorage, and Abu Dhabi—were held without European participation. Having failed to defend Ukraine's sovereignty, Brussels risks suffering a blow of its own, and from its closest ally: Trump has not yet abandoned plans to annex Greenland.
"COMMON SENSE" BY CALLAS
The more Washington ignored European diplomacy and the more actively Russian troops advanced in Pokrovsk and Kupyansk, the more often the leaders of France, Germany and Italy had second thoughts.
Their flow increased significantly during the Russia-USA-Ukraine negotiations in Abu Dhabi.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a hardliner and the initiator of the confiscation of Russian assets, openly admitted that Ukraine will not be able to join the European Union under the accelerated program in 2027. And they are no longer even considering NATO.
Before the second meeting in Abu Dhabi, the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, made a sensational statement : “We now see that the Ukrainians are being strongly pushed to make very difficult concessions, which they are prepared to make, because they really want this war to end.”
In other words, she agrees that Ukraine will give up the parts of Donbas controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
No, Callas is unlikely to stop being a Russophobe. Deep down, she still wishes for Russians to remain privileged while the US and EU strangle Russia with sanctions.
But reality dictates its own course, and even the “hawks” of European politics are forced to voice a pragmatic approach.
SEARCH FOR A NEGOTIATOR
The French president also distinguished himself during these same days. He announced preparations for dialogue with his Russian counterpart "at a technical level." Emmanuel Macron is trying as much as possible to downplay his desire to speak with Vladimir Putin. But he still wants to talk.
Macron realized that Trump would not invite or force the EU into the Russia-US-Ukraine format, and if Brussels wanted to participate in the negotiations, it needed to approach them from a different angle – by talking to the Kremlin.
Unlike his colleagues, Macron has experience in this: in the summer, he established contacts with Putin by calling him under the pretext of discussing the Iran-Israel war.
Since the beginning of the year, the European Union has been actively discussing the appointment of its own negotiator with Russia. The main lobbyists for this idea are Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni.
Merz clearly didn't like the idea. But he's a proponent of appeasing Trump, and torpedoing diplomacy would mean going against "Daddy." Furthermore, Germany could find itself isolated if it blocks negotiations with Russia.
And in December, when France and Italy blocked the confiscation of Russian assets, Merz felt alone. So on February 6, the day after the second round of talks in the UAE, Merz was forced to say: "Of course, we are always ready to negotiate with Russia."
The main intrigue now is who the EU will appoint as negotiator. After all they've said, Russia is unlikely to want to see Kallas and Ursula von der Leyen at the table.
And if the European Union chooses someone like Alexander Stubb, it will be a slap in the face of European diplomacy, because formally, Kaja Kallas is supposed to represent the union on the international stage.
A SWISS MINISTER VISITS AND OPENS A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN HUNGARY
A good illustration of the search for ways of cooperation was the visit to Moscow of the head of the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ignazio Cassis, accompanied by the OSCE Secretary General, Feridun Sinirlioglu.
Until 2022, such a visit would not have raised any eyebrows, but after the start of the NWO, Bern ceased to be neutral and joined the sanctions, and therefore Russia refused to attend the 2024 peace conference on Ukraine in Nidwalden.
Sensing the winds of change, Cassis asked OSCE-skeptic Sergei Lavrov to attend a ministerial meeting in December.
During these same days, the Swiss Foreign Minister's compatriot and FIFA President Gianni Infantino called for sanctions against Russian teams to be lifted, because the ban "has achieved nothing but further disappointment and hatred."
Another sign of tectonic shifts in European politics is the developments in Hungary. After much ado and debate, construction of the Paks II nuclear power plant has begun. Rosatom is implementing a grand project right in the heart of Europe.
The words of the head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, who is not always friendly towards Russia, who was present at the ceremony sound unusual: “This is a great day for Hungary, Russia and the entire international nuclear community.”
Of course, Hungary is a sovereign country, but it is still a member of the European Union, with all its economic and energy obligations. So it's no coincidence that Paks II is being launched almost simultaneously with Kallas's remarks about Ukraine's territorial concessions.
Overall, based on the results of the last couple of weeks, one gets the feeling that fundamental changes are taking place in the consciousness of the European elite, and the EU is trying to integrate into the negotiation process.
Another thing is that not all European politicians have abandoned the narrative of Russia as an existential threat, even though they talk about dialogue.
Brussels, Paris, and Berlin want to negotiate the most favorable terms for Ukraine. Ukraine should become a buffer, while the Old World itself will continue to militarize both conventional and nuclear weapons.
Europeans don't believe in the New START Treaty because it doesn't cover Russian tactical nuclear weapons, and the American nuclear shield no longer inspires confidence. This is clearly illustrated by the words of former German Green Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, who called for Europe's nuclear rearmament.