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\t\t\t\tUkraine War Is \u201cKilling Russia\u201d \u2013 Rutte to MT
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But his was still seen as a continuation of the administration’s MAGA rhetoric, decrying \u201cmass immigration,\u201d a \u201cclimate cult\u201d and framing the U.S. not just as the most powerful country in the democratic world, but as part of a \u201cshared civilization\u201d with Europe, \u201cforged by centuries of shared history, Christian faith, culture, heritage, language, ancestry\u201d and \u201cthe sacrifices of previous generations.\u201d<\/p>\n
For some European leaders, who increasingly accept that the continent must reduce its reliance on Washington and assert itself as a more equal partner, that rhetoric landed uncomfortably.<\/p>\n
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized Washington\u2019s tariff policies and what he described as the projection of U.S. \u201cculture war\u201d issues into European politics.<\/p>\n
\u201cMAGA means anti-EU. It means anti-liberal world order. It means anti-climate change. That\u2019s the ideological undercurrent\u201d guiding U.S. foreign policy,\u201d said Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who is thought to have one of the best relationships with U.S. President Donald Trump out of anyone in the alliance.<\/p>\n
How much damage Rubio could undo was limited, as many European leaders have direct experience with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n
Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen said she believes that Trump still wants to own Greenland, despite having toned down his threats to take it by force.<\/p>\n
Eyes on east and west<\/p>\n
The conference took place the day after a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, where they discussed progress toward capability targets set at last year\u2019s summit in The Hague. NATO announced that a further $500 million would be pledged to purchase U.S.-made weapons for Ukraine through the Prioritized Ukrainian Requirements List (PURL), including air defense missiles to protect cities and infrastructure from Russia\u2019s intensifying drone and missile attacks.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tU.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio waves as he departs Munich International Airport on Feb. 15 after attending the Munich Security Conference.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAlex Brandon \/ Pool \/ AFP<\/p>\n
As Ukrainian civilians continued to freeze in apartments that have been without heating for weeks due to Russian strikes on energy infrastructure, Ukrainian officials sought to emphasize Moscow\u2019s problems on the battlefield after Western figures suggested Russia lost 9,000 more men on the battlefield last month than they recruited.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the Ukraine House exhibition, co-hosted by the presidential office near the main venue, visitors met Ukrainian drone developers and watched an AI-generated video depicting simulated Russian Geran drone attacks on major European cities.<\/p>\n
On the main stage, President Volodymyr Zelensky called for security guarantees for Ukraine lasting at least 20 years. He said Washington had offered 15-year assurances but had not specified how it would provide them, including whether it would support a European reassurance<\/a> force in Ukraine.<\/p>\n He called on the international community to \u201cexert maximum pressure on Russia\u201d by pushing down global oil prices to further hit a key source of revenue for Moscow\u2019s war effort.<\/p>\n He also said Ukraine would hold elections \u2014 a condition pushed by Trump and the Kremlin \u2014 if a two-month ceasefire with security guarantees were agreed.<\/p>\n The next round of talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Geneva.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe audience at the Munich Security Conference. After almost a year of talks in which Russia repeated its demand for Ukrainian territory and rejected external security support for Kyiv as a threat, the contours of any deal remain vague.<\/p>\n Rubio said it was unclear how \u201cserious\u201d Russia was about ending the war. \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cThey say they are \u2014 and under what terms they are willing to do it and whether we can find terms that are acceptable to Ukraine that Russia will always agree to. But we\u2019re going to continue to test it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Equally uncertain is how the international community would engage with Russia if a deal were reached. The Kremlin has signaled that peace would depend on ending Russia\u2019s economic isolation, including lifting sanctions and pursuing new economic agreements with the U.S.<\/p>\n Attendees who spoke to The Moscow Times did not provide a clear picture of how the world should treat a post-war Russia. But none were looking for a return to the pre-war status quo.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s have a peace deal first and then see what happens after that,\u201d Rutte said. \u201cBut for NATO, it\u2019s clear as we see things now, Russia is a long term threat to the whole of NATO\u2019s territory.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe leant over backwards to integrate Russia into the broadly understood West\u2026\u201d Polish Foreign Minister Rados\u0142aw Sikorski said. \u201cI’m afraid under the current leadership of Russia, a return to normal relations with the West is unlikely. Colonial wars, if you look historically, are only ended by a different team than started them.\u201d<\/p>\n Russian opposition activist Mikhail Khordokovsky also saw no prospects for a lasting peace as long as President Vladimir Putin holds power in the Kremlin.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFor him, war is necessary, because then we need to avoid talking about normal life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n A Message from The Moscow Times:<\/strong><\/p>\n Dear readers,<\/p>\n We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has designated The Moscow Times as an “undesirable” organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a “foreign agent.”<\/p>\n These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work “discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership.” We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.<\/p>\n We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help<\/a>.<\/p>\n Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It’s quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.<\/p>\n By supporting The Moscow Times, you’re defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tContinue\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Not ready to support today? \u00d7<\/p>\n \t\tRemind me next month<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\t\t\tThank you! Your reminder is set.\n\t\t<\/p>\n![\"
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