Russia has no intention of ending its war against Ukraine and is putting forward conditions that Ukraine, Europe, and the United States cannot accept, Polish MEP Michał Kobosko said during meetings in Washington.
Kobosko, from the Poland 2050 party and the liberal Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, said his delegation came to understand thinking in Washington and present Europe’s view on the war and wider transatlantic ties.
He said the group is meeting Republicans, Democrats, and U.S. officials, but invitations to representatives of the pro-Trump “Make America Great Again” movement, including lawmakers and think tanks, were declined.
“The Trump administration is doing things we do not fully understand and that worry us,” Kobosko said, adding that his camp strongly believes in transatlantic ties and does not want Europe treated as a rival when “true enemies” are elsewhere.
He said he was not surprised the Kremlin declared there was no “compromise” after a recent meeting between a U.S. delegation and Russian President Vladimir Putin. For Moscow, he argued, compromise would mean accepting “all Russian arguments and all demands” from a 28-point “peace plan” he said was drawn up in Moscow and is unacceptable for Ukraine, Europe, and Poland.
“Russia does not want to end this war and therefore sets conditions absolutely unacceptable for Ukraine, for Europe and, I think, also for the United States,” he said.
Kobosko accused the Trump administration of more often accepting Russia’s position than Ukraine’s, which he said “in some way equates the aggressor with the victim.” There is only one aggressor, he said, not only against Ukraine but also in a “real, ongoing hybrid war” targeting other Central and Eastern European states.
Poland and Europe, he said, cannot accept any settlement that would amount to a diktat from Putin, end the war on terms benefiting only Russia, and give it time to rearm before taking further aggressive steps.
Kobosko argued Europe must be involved in any talks on ending the war so that peace has “solid foundations” and warned that Russia is a “well-experienced player” that will “negotiate hard.” He said it is in the U.S. national interest to secure Europe’s security and a stable peace in Ukraine so America can focus on China as its main global competitor.
“In short, for President Trump to have peace with Europe, he must take care of peace in Europe,” he said.
Kobosko dismissed as propaganda Putin’s recent statement that Russia does not want war with Europe but is ready to fight if Europe starts one. “Nobody in Europe wants to attack Russia,” he said, calling for Russia to recognize the right of EU states to develop and to coexist peacefully.
He linked Putin’s rhetoric to EU talks on using frozen Russian assets. Many of those assets are held under Belgian jurisdiction, he said, calling the sum “enormous” and saying it should be released in tranches for Ukraine, with EU leaders expected to seek a final decision at a December summit.
The delegation is also raising EU-U.S. trade and technology issues. Kobosko said big tech companies earn huge profits in Europe and should, like European firms, respect EU regulations. “This is not anti-American,” he said. “If you operate in a given market, you follow that market’s rules.”
Transatlantic ties must not be weakened in tense times, he added, “because that is precisely what our enemies are waiting for, such as Russia in Europe or, more broadly, global powers like China.”
(jh)
Source: PAP