EU is unwilling to invest in Ukraine peace process — US expert on Putin's remarks

WASHINGTON, May 11. /TASS/. Europe is stubbornly unwilling to invest in a peace settlement in Ukraine, Mark Episkopos, research fellow in the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, told TASS, commenting on Russian President Vladimir Putin's statements about his readiness to negotiate with the EU. "European leaders can secure a seat at the negotiating table any time they want by engaging both sides constructively and in a solutions-oriented way, which is what the U.S. has been doing under President [Donald] Trump's peace initiative. There is no indication this will happen in the foreseeable future, and, though progress continues to be made, the peace talks are somewhat hampered by a persistent lack of European buy-in," the American expert believes. He negatively answered to a question about whether the United States would pressure the EU to participate in peace talks on Ukraine. "The White House doesn't expect Europeans to amend their approach to the Ukraine peace process, nor does it have an appetite to pressure them into doing so," the expert believes. "Moves toward meaningful dialogue between Europe and Russia are unlikely until after a Ukraine peace deal materializes and creates new impetus for diplomatic engagement," the political analyst forecasts.