Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has shown no serious commitment to peace talks over Ukraine, even with US mediation, and European countries must increase the pressure, Bloomberg says in a new editorial.
US officials report growing frustration with the slow pace of negotiations, partly due to Washington’s reluctance to press Putin for meaningful concessions. If the US will not act, Europe must step in, the journalsists say.
The White House has signaled a willingness to meet almost all of Putin’s demands — from legitimizing Russia’s illegal annexations to blocking Ukraine’s NATO membership. Military aid approved under the previous administration has been frozen, and no new arms packages for Ukraine have been promised.
Meanwhile, the US also refuses to guarantee security for European allies willing to monitor any future ceasefire.
Despite talks resuming in London this week, early concessions have yielded no progress. Shortly after US Envoy Steve Witkoff’s latest meeting with Putin, Russian missiles struck the Ukrainian city of Sumy, killing at least 35 civilians, including children. Russia’s so-called Easter ceasefire barely lasted through the weekend.
In contrast, Europe has strengthened its support for Ukraine. Alongside the UK and other members of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, European nations have pledged over €21 billion in military aid this year.
The new “porcupine strategy” aims to reinforce Ukraine’s air defenses, artillery, drones, and missile stockpiles. A proposed €150 billion defense loan would boost weapons production across the EU, Ukraine, and Norway.
But Bloomberg stresses that more must be done. First, pledged funds must be rapidly converted into new weapons. Ukraine is poised to become one of Europe’s largest arms producers, yet much of its capacity remains idle due to a lack of financing. Targeted funding—such as proceeds from frozen Russian assets—has already expanded production of “Bohdana” howitzers and should be scaled up.
Also, Europe must supply Ukraine with more advanced weapons, Bloomberg says. Likely future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz supports sending Taurus missiles capable of striking Russian supply routes in Crimea. The current German government should follow the examples of Britain and France and approve the delivery.
Additionally, Europe must overcome obstruction from Hungary’s pro-Putin leader Viktor Orbán, who has delayed sanctions and opposed training Ukrainian troops. The EU can and should use tools like expanded qualified majority voting to sideline any member undermining European security.
Bloomberg also calls on Europe to crack down on sanctions evasion, enforce oil price caps, and block the flow of dual-use technology to Russia. European leaders must pressure Washington to sanction Chinese and Indian buyers of Russian oil, fulfilling earlier threats.
Putin’s ambitions extend beyond Ukraine, Bloomberg underlines. Studies show a near-tripling of Russian hybrid attacks against European and American targets between 2023 and 2024 — from sabotage to disinformation to assassination attempts.
“History has shown that an unchecked Russia, given time to rearm, is likely to expand its territorial ambitions,” the editorial concludes.
Earlier, former Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelian warned that Russia is openly misleading Donald Trump.
He stressed that Russia would betray the US at the first opportunity, whether in coordination with China or acting alone, calling that “the nature of the Kremlin today.”
