On November 24, Austrian Prime Minister Christian Stocker issued a clear statement on Europe's stance on recent diplomatic developments. He affirmed that the European Union (EU) will not change its policy, continue to maintain pressure on Russia and support Ukraine at all levels, despite the efforts towards peace that the US is promoting.
writing on social media X, Mr Stocker admitted that "a new impetus has emerged in diplomatic efforts" in recent days and he welcomed any initiatives that could lead to a ceasefire. However, the Austrian leader stressed a precondition: European security cannot be decided without Europeans.
"It is certain that Ukraine and the European Union need to be present and actively participate in negotiations as the security of our European continent is being discussed," Stocker said. This affirmation is considered a message to Washington, demanding that Brussels' role in future agreements with Russia must not be ignored.
The Austrian statement came shortly after the US and Ukraine held key consultations on Washington's peace plan on November 23. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly praised the meeting as the "most effective" in the entire conflict.
However, leaked information shows another picture. Politico, citing a private source, revealed that the substantial negotiations were extremely tense, showing that there were still major disagreements between Washington and Kiev on specific terms.
Moscow's response is still quite cautious. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia remains open to talks on a solution to the Ukrainian issue, but there are currently no specific details regarding relations with the US. He also confirmed that no talks are scheduled between Moscow and Washington this week.
Russia said it has not yet received an official document on the revised version of the US peace plan following a "nedightening" consultation with Ukraine. This shows that although diplomatic activities are being promoted, the gap to a real negotiation table is still very far away.
