Hurry up and wait: Europe wants a place at the table, ‘must make up its mind’ over Ukraine

Gavin Lee is pleased to welcome Dr. Alexander Titov, Lecturer in Modern European History at Queen's University Belfast and a specialist on Russia. He's joined us to discuss the Abu Dhabi, Dublin and the prospects for ending the war in Ukraine. 

Dr. Titov explains that Russia wants negotiations to go beyond a ceasefire to include territory, NATO and Ukraine's post-war relations with other countries. All the while, Europe faces a stark challenge, as explained by Dr. Titov. "They don't really have a single voice: The bigger problem is that you need to agree what you actually want to discuss," he says, questioning whether European governments can reach a common position.

Now while Dr. Titov sees "some grounds for hope" in discussions of wider post-war arrangements, he cautions against expecting any imminent breakthrough. "Russia is not in any rush," he says, adding that "things on the ground, battle-wise and economy-wise, will be more decisive in determining its outcome."