Intensification: Showdown between Russia and EU before the UN

Russia has requested a UN Security Council meeting for this week, according to the Moscow Times. Russia wants to discuss "alleged European efforts to obstruct Ukraine peace talks," the newspaper said. Dmitry Polyansky, Russia's first deputy UN representative, said the meeting is expected for this Friday. The Europeans also want to hold a UN Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine the day before.

“We have requested a meeting in connection with the threat to international peace and security posed by the actions of a number of European states that are trying to obstruct efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis,” Polyanski wrote on Telegram.

The Times continues: "The two UN meetings in New York come two weeks after the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since March 2022. Negotiations in Istanbul over the weekend resulted in an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side. The exchange took place as Russian missile and drone strikes have led Ukraine to some of its deadliest attacks in recent months. US President Donald Trump responded with a rare criticism, calling Russian President Vladimir Putin 'absolutely crazy' and warning of possible new sanctions." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov downplayed Trump's comments, saying emotions were running high during the Ukraine peace talks.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Trump could impose sanctions on Moscow as early as this week, "as he grows increasingly frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin's continued attacks on Ukraine and the slow pace of peace talks." Anonymous sources close to Trump told the newspaper that there would be no sanctions against banks, but rather sanctions aimed at Putin personally.

Meanwhile, the conflict between Russia and the EU is intensifying: Europe continues to supply weapons to Kyiv, thereby indirectly participating in the war against Russia, said presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov at a press conference. "We see that Europe is indirectly involved: the arms deliveries continue. This is indirect participation in the war against Russia. We are all observing ongoing discussions about the possibility of creating 'European (troop) contingents,'" Peskov said, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.

On Monday, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced the delivery of new F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also announced that there would no longer be any restrictions on the range of the weapons supplied to Kyiv by Berlin and its allies.

Moscow explicitly took a position against France: The statements by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot that his country was not waging war against Russia were a lie, since Kyiv was using French missiles for attacks inside Russia, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a press conference.

The EU, for its part, is continuing to push ahead with its military buildup: The EU Council approved at ministerial level the creation of the "Security Action for Europe" (SAFE) instrument to strengthen European military capabilities, worth €150 billion, the Polish EU Council Presidency announced in a post on X. The instrument will "provide financial support of up to €150 billion to strengthen European security and defense industries."

SAFE is a new EU funding instrument that supports Member States seeking to invest in defense production through joint procurement. Activities eligible for funding through SAFE include ammunition and missiles, artillery systems with precision strike capabilities, ground combat capabilities and their support systems, critical infrastructure protection measures, cybersecurity measures, military mobility, air and missile defense systems, maritime surface and underwater capabilities, drones and drone defense systems, aeronautical and space systems, and artificial intelligence and electronic warfare.