THE POINT

The United States is"pressuring" Ukraine to "withdraw its troops from Donbass " to create a "free economic demilitarized zone" in the part of the region currently controlled by Kiev. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky explained this himself, specifying however that any decision regarding the possible cession of territories to Russia will have to go through"elections or a referendum." "There must be a position of the people," the Kiev leader stressed. Zelensky spoke of"constructive" talks with the United States, while news is expected from Moscow, where Vladimir Putin stated that the"military strategic initiative" on the battlefield is "totally in Russian hands." Meanwhile, in Washington, the White House has said that Donald Trump is"frustrated" and "wants less talk and more action."

Regarding the diplomatic game, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that he had sent Washington"additional proposals regarding collective security guarantees." The Russian diplomat then returned to attack Europe and its "useless" ideas to "try to sit" at the negotiating table. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte responded:"We are Russia's next target and we are already in danger." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke of a Europe "under pressure" but one that will not allow itself to be "divided."

Meanwhile, a meeting is scheduled for Saturday in Paris between officials from the United States, Ukraine, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Kiev, Paris, Berlin, and London will be represented at the meeting by their national security advisers, while it is not yet clear whether US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also Trump's national security adviser, will attend the summit. Finally, in Brussels, the road to using the €201 billion from Russian assets for the reparation loan to Ukraine over the next two years appears to be less bumpy. EU member states have begun the process to approve within 24 hours the emergency procedure provided for by Article 122 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, the same procedure used on other occasions, such as the gas crisis. This will exempt the freezing of Russian assets held in the EU from the six-monthly renewal of sanctions on Moscow, which is always at risk of a Hungarian veto.