The European Union has shifted its stance on the Ukraine conflict, aligning with a US proposal for a ceasefire. This is evident in the joint statement issued by the G7 foreign ministers.
Previously, the EU had aimed to put Ukraine in a position of strength to negotiate with Russia by providing military aid. This was a veiled reference to a military victory over Russia.
However, the situation has fundamentally changed since the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House. Washington now acknowledges that the Ukraine conflict is a proxy war, whereas the EU had previously maintained that the notion of a proxy war was a “Russian narrative”.
In contrast to the EU and the G7 countries of Germany, France and Italy, the US is now focusing on a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The EU had previously rejected diplomacy and attributed the sole blame for the conflict to Russia, a view no longer shared by the US. Washington views the conflict in the context of NATO’s expansion and the plan to integrate Ukraine into the alliance, which has since been scrapped, with the rejection of Ukraine’s NATO membership bid yesterday.
Despite the shift, significant differences remain. While the US is seeking mediation, the EU and its member states maintain a confrontational tone towards Russia, threatening further sanctions if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire. Additionally, the EU remains committed to providing security guarantees to Ukraine, a stance opposed by the Trump administration, which believes the solution to the conflict does not require additional security guarantees. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the time is not right to impose further sanctions on Russia.