Critical words from Western leaders don’t seem to have bothered Vladimir Putin. Following the G20 summit in Brisbane, he seems content to continue the confrontation. Europe, meanwhile, is repositioning.
The EU’s foreign ministers will be on the move again, with a meeting planned in Brussels on Monday. The fact that the Russian president approached the West with complete indifference on the matter in Australia makes the task ahead for Europe’s top diplomats all the more difficult.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who seems to have the - relatively - best relationship with Putin, had a private meeting of several hours with him in Brisbane, which she left without comment. In Brussels, European governments must now coordinate their reactions to the rhetorical and military offensives being launched by the Kremlin.
The EU’s foreign ministers will be on the move again, with a meeting planned in Brussels on Monday. The fact that the Russian president approached the West with complete indifference on the matter in Australia makes the task ahead for Europe’s top diplomats all the more difficult.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who seems to have the - relatively - best relationship with Putin, had a private meeting of several hours with him in Brisbane, which she left without comment. In Brussels, European governments must now coordinate their reactions to the rhetorical and military offensives being launched by the Kremlin.