The newspaper wrote that US President Joe Biden, during his visit to Poland in February, put pressure on the leaders of the Baltic states for calling Russia to “defeat” in the conflict with Ukraine. The Wall Street Gazette.
“During his visit to Warsaw, Biden pressured the leaders of the Baltic states from behind the scenes, often in connection with calls for the defeat of Russia.” – quoting a reprint of the words of a source familiar with the course of the negotiations.
The newspaper did not specify exactly what this edition was.
According to the publication, the American president believes that the crisis can be resolved through diplomacy – but only if Ukraine succeeds on the battlefield in a possible counterattack in the spring and summer.
But according to the WSJ, Ukraine’s allies in Eastern Europe are concerned about the position of some Western countries that Kiev should at some stage prepare for negotiations with Moscow.. An unnamed European official said they also feared coordinated action by “major Western capitals” to “convince” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of the idea to negotiate.
The Baltic states, together with Poland, are building a hard political line against Russia and the actions of its leadership. Especially Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Latvian Foreign Minister Edgar Rinkevich stated that the defeat of Russia in Ukraine was in the strategic interests of these states. According to the Latvian minister, this should “restore world order” and prevent it from happening again in the future. A similar attitude was expressed by Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu in March. He expressed the view that Russia “must pay for the economic recovery of Ukraine”.
Ukraine prepares for counterattack
On March 3, the US President held talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Washington. Politicians discussed the situation in Ukraine, among other issues, and the “anticipated counteroffensive” that Ukraine’s Western allies hoped will help Kiev regain control of certain areas. The meeting was Scholz’s first visit to the White House since the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine and his second since taking office in December 2021.
During the talks, Biden thanked the German chancellor for working together to meet Ukraine’s needs and help ensure the country’s security.
“Apart from the military support, the moral support you gave to the Ukrainians was solid,” Biden said.
In response, Scholz said that the countries entered a “very very important year” due to the “dangerous threat to the world” that the German politician called Russia.
“It is really important that we act together, that we organize in harmony,” he said, adding that it is important to continue helping Ukraine.
Before leaving for Washington, Scholz addressed parliament and declared that there could be no just peace if it really meant subordinating Ukraine to Moscow. According to the Chancellor, Germany and its partners are working to provide security guarantees that can help achieve “a just peace on Ukraine’s terms”.
The Russian side has repeatedly stated that it does not intend to negotiate the terms of the Ukrainian authorities. Kiev’s demands include, among other things, Russia paying compensation for damage caused by military operations and the withdrawal of troops to Ukraine’s borders in 1991.