How does Europe want the Ukraine war to end?

Russian President Vladimir Putin's unilateral announcement of a three-day intermission to its warfare successful Ukraine astir the 80th day of World War II ending was met with nary applause successful Brussels.

"Russia could halt the sidesplitting and the bombing astatine immoderate time. So there's perfectly nary request to hold until the 8th of May," EU overseas affairs spokesperson Anitta Hipper told reporters connected Tuesday.

Critics accidental the Kremlin — which cites "humanitarian reasons" for its latest truce pledge — is simply trying to curry favour with Washington aft US President Donald Trump expressed frustration with Russia's ongoing attacks connected Ukraine.

Trump's disapproval of Moscow  marked a alteration of code from the US president's past vocal disapproval of his Ukrainian counterpart.

Russia's ceasefire announcement also followed play scenes of European leaders huddling with the Ukrainian president and a sit-down betwixt Zelenskyy and Trump successful the Vatican.

With overseas affairs main Marco Rubio branding this a "critical week," the US says it's present mulling whether to discontinue efforts to broker bid altogether which — immoderate 100 days aft Trump took bureau — are inactive falling flat.

Trump and Zelenskyy met successful Rome, wherever the 2 leaders were invited to be the ceremonial of Pope FrancisImage: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS

A communicative of 2 bid plans

As satellite leaders readied to descend on Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis,  Reuters quality bureau published two leaks: a ceasefire program reportedly floated by the US aft its talks with Moscow and Kyiv, and a counter-plan drafted by European and Ukrainian officials.

The rival texts amusement the US and Europe are not connected the aforesaid pagewhen it comes to conditions for ending the conflict.

While the US-penned papers reportedly foresees full US designation of Crimea and "de facto" designation of immoderate different Ukrainian regions seized by Russia, the European substance simply says "territorial issues" should beryllium "resolved aft a afloat and unconditional ceasefire."

The European-Ukrainian program besides says Ukraine's subject indispensable not beryllium restricted and demands a beardown US-backed information warrant akin to NATO's nonfiction five, nether which an onslaught connected 1 subordinate of the subject confederation is an onslaught connected all.

The American papers seen by Reuters, meanwhile, says Ukraine "will not question to articulation NATO" and says lone that Ukraine volition person a "robust information guarantee."

The US would assistance sanctions connected Russia nether its reported plan, portion the European substance says US sanctions should lone beryllium eased "gradually aft a sustainable bid is achieved."

The UK and France person been starring efforts to laic retired details of however European forces could deter aboriginal Russian attacks successful Ukraine, aft the US ruled retired its ain troops taking partImage: GENYA SAVILOV/AFP

Red lines and reassurance

"What has struck maine successful caller days is that Europeans are starting to spell retired rather intelligibly what it is that they want," Camille Grand, an ex-NATO official-turned expert with the European Council connected Foreign Relations, told DW successful Brussels.

Grand pointed to weeks of frenetic European diplomacy since Trump took office, with talks successful Paris, London, Brussels and Rome from apical leaders down to subject officials moving retired however European states, led by France and the UK, could constabulary an eventual bid woody successful Ukraine done a alleged "reassurance force."

"They are earnestly talking and they are trying to code each other's problems: What is it that you miss? Are you acceptable to spell connected the ground? No, but tin you supply planes? But would you beryllium acceptable to bash truthful if the unit is stationed successful Poland?" Grand explained.

"It moved a agelong mode from thing which seemed wholly disconnected from world to thing wherever determination is simply a overmuch person consciousness of what it is that we are acceptable to bash and however we privation to bash it."

European and US officials stay astatine odds, however, connected whether and however Washington would supply a "backstop" to support European peacekeepers from imaginable Russian attacks.

Europe wants to support US and Ukraine talking

Almut Molle, a apical expert with the European Policy Centre deliberation tank, says Europe's efforts person not gone unnoticed.

"The enactment to accidental we are acceptable to measurement up, we are present to prosecute successful European information successful a precise meaningful mode is the strongest imaginable awesome to the United States that Europe has understood the telephone from implicit the Atlantic," she told DW successful Brussels.

 "But does that warrant a spot astatine the table? No," she added.

With the US present threatening to permission the array entirely, Europe's precedence whitethorn good beryllium to support Washington connected committee and consenting to perceive to Kyiv.

"We're ever stronger together. We're ever stronger with our allies," the EU's Anitta Hipper said erstwhile pressed by DW connected the bloc's connection to the White House.

"Our precedence should beryllium to enactment ever Ukraine, due to the fact that this sends the close connection successful look of each imaginable aggressors retired there, not lone Russia," Hipper added successful a veiled allusion to longstanding US desires to gully down subject backing to Europe and pivot toward China and the Indo Pacific.

Despite immoderate interior divisions, the EU has vowed to support up enactment for UkraineImage: Sergei Gapon/AFP/Getty Images

Plan B without the US?

But if the US walks distant from the negotiating table, it's hard to ideate a wide Plan B for European countries which regularly pledge to basal with Ukraine "for arsenic agelong arsenic it takes" without specifying precisely what the "it" looks like.

Financially, the EU could support up its governmental and subject backing for Ukraine. According to Hipper the bloc has committed some €23 cardinal ($26.2 billion) worthy of assistance to Kyiv truthful acold this year.

But with Ukrainian and European militaries inactive heavy reliant connected US logistics, outer and quality capacity, going it unsocial is inactive seen by galore successful Europe arsenic a worst-case scenario.

Grand thinks the US stepping backmost from efforts to people a speedy woody would beryllium preferable to the unfastened US hostility toward Kyiv epitomized by a February Oval Office bust-up betwixt Trump and Zelenskyy.

"Compared to that situation, having a US that is little interested, little committed, mightiness not beryllium that large of a drama," Grand said, adding that Europeans should effort to "take vantage of a existent infinitesimal to spot if Trump's caller admittance that Putin mightiness beryllium a occupation — not the solution — could assistance find a amended solution.

Edited by: Jess Smee