As they discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, European leaders are increasingly concerned as Russia appears to be preparing a new offensive.
Points of attention
- European leaders are worried about Russia's potential new offensive in Ukraine as troops concentrate near the Donetsk region.
- Diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation in Ukraine have reached a stalemate as Russia appears to be preparing for further aggression.
- The grueling summer offensive campaign by Russia has not yielded significant territorial gains, but airstrikes have intensified, leading to civilian casualties.
Russia is preparing a new offensive in Ukraine
The publication, citing informed anonymous sources, writes that at a Security Council meeting in Toulon last week, the focus was on the concentration of Russian troops near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also announced on Friday that Russia had redeployed 100,000 soldiers to the front line outside the city.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the "Coalition of the Willing" is scheduled for September 4 in Paris, which aims to complete negotiations on security guarantees for Ukraine at the European level, sources told the publication.
After that, European leaders are scheduled to talk with US President Donald Trump.
According to sources, the Europeans likely want to outline specific commitments for the US contribution to these guarantees and push Washington to tighten sanctions against Russia, as its dictator Vladimir Putin has no intention of meeting with Zelensky anytime soon.
The French want to convey to Trump that Europe has done its part in supporting Ukraine, and he should fulfill his threat to increase pressure on the Kremlin.
The meeting in Paris is expected to be attended by the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Poland, and Ukrainian President Zelensky, while the leaders of the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany, as well as US special envoy Steve Witkoff, will join via video conference.
Meanwhile, a senior European diplomat said that the momentum in diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation in Ukraine seen early last month has waned and talks have reached a stalemate as Russia prepares for a further offensive into Ukrainian territory.
The article states that Russia's grueling summer offensive campaign has not yet led to significant territorial gains for the Kremlin: the Russian army captured only 2,033 square kilometers, or 0.3% of the total area of Ukraine, between May and August.
It also notes that Russia has stepped up airstrikes amid Trump's efforts to end the war, and July became the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since May 2022, with 589 people killed and 1,152 injured, according to the UN.
