This week, the Ukrainian city of Sumi It has suffered one of the worst attacks of the year. Just 25 kilometers from Russia and 17 from the front lines, the Russians launched kamikaze drones in broad daylight, which struck the city center and left dozens wounded. The attacks were concentrated on administrative and residential buildings for almost four hours. The scenes were of ordinary people running for shelter, panic attacks, and shattered windows. The cafes, spaces that have become a kind of sanctuary for Ukrainians in these last four years of war, where drinking a good cup of coffee is almost a religious practice, were also targeted.

At the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a conservative, took a step forward in assuming European leadership. In a carefully considered and calculated speech, Merz sought a balance between the desire to move towards greater European defense autonomy and the need to maintain the historic alliance with the United States. All of this stemmed from the assumption that a new era is dawning on the international stage, one that no longer adheres to the parameters of the post-World War II era. Merz and Macron acknowledged ongoing talks to "articulate France's nuclear deterrent for Europe," Macron stated, making it clear that a strong stance is necessary: ​​"Europe must become a geopolitical power." At this point, it remains to be seen what position London, which also possesses nuclear weapons, will adopt. In any case, in Munich, Merz, Macron, and Starmer made a public appearance together. The chancellor has opted for this path without abandoning Atlanticism, that is, within a NATO in which Europe assumes greater responsibility and, therefore, greater military strength. This European strengthening responds to the Western rebalancing unleashed by US President Donald Trump with his disruptive and contemptuous approach to Europe. What approach? So far, a four-move strategy. First, pressuring traditional partners to increase their military budgets—and to do so by spending on American industry. Second, flirting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in the context of the war in Ukraine; this very Friday he insisted: "Russia wants to reach an agreement and Zelensky will have to make a move or he will lose a great opportunity." Third, emboldening the continental far right and thus weakening European unity. And fourth, with the threat of invading a European territory, Greenland (Denmark).

Pedro Sánchez begins 2026 by opening major debates. On the one hand, with the proposal for new regional financing, detailed at the end of the week, the Spanish government is tackling one of the most complicated issues facing the state, which has been stalled for more than ten years and, to be implemented, will have to culminate in a difficult vote in Congress. The other issue raised by Sánchez on Three Kings' Day, from Paris, where he participated in the summit of countries allied with Ukraine, will also have to be submitted to the lower house. The head of the government opened the door to sending Spanish troops on a peacekeeping mission if a ceasefire with Russia is achieved, but he also lacks a clear majority to approve it.

Pedro Sánchez has opened the door to sending Spanish troops to Ukraine on a peacekeeping mission. The Spanish Prime Minister announced this Tuesday, after the Paris summit of the so-called Coalition of Volunteers, that next week he will begin a round of talks with parliamentary groups in Congress to discuss this scenario. Sánchez conditioned the deployment of Spanish military personnel on the arrival of a ceasefire with Russia. "Spain must be part of the solution," he argued at a press conference, where he expressed his hope that 2026 will be "the year that ends this war." "It is a moment of hope and opportunity," he emphasized.

After weeks of talks, Ukraine and the United States have drawn up a draft peace plan to end the Russian invasion war. Based on a 28-point document agreed between Moscow and Washington —which was practically pushing Kyiv to capitulate—, US and Ukrainian negotiators have negotiated a new proposal, which they presented to the Kremlin on Wednesday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented it to journalists and announced that, should Russia accept it, he intends to submit it to a referendum for Ukrainian approval or to parliamentary ratification. "Ukraine will submit this agreement to parliamentary ratification [...] and/or hold a nationwide referendum for its approval in the format..."Yeah either NoZelensky added that the referendum could coincide with the presidential elections.

From London to Brussels, and from the EU capital to Rome. In just 24 hours. Volodymyr Zelensky has traveled 1,800 kilometers to discuss and amend with his European allies The peace plan for Ukraine promoted by US President Donald Trump is running out of time. According to the Financial TimesZelensky has told his European counterparts that on Saturday he was pressured—even more so—by Washington: in a two-hour call, Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy negotiating peace in Ukraine, and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, urged him to make a quick decision, which should be "before Na." The Ukrainian president's response was that he needed time to consult the peace plan with European allies, the report notes. Financial Times

Last Monday, the White House streamed nearly 26 minutes of the meeting between President Donald Trump and European leaders plus NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who accompanied Volodymyr Zelensky to his meeting with the tycoon after the Alaska summit with Vladimir PutinThe goal was to ensure that all this didn't end like the dawn rosary. That is, like the February meeting, when the Ukrainian president He was invited to leave with his tail between his legs after the Oval Office humiliation.. And also to prevent Kiev from being forced to accept peace terms on the terms set by the Kremlin.

The fledgling peace talks in Ukraine, promoted and led by US President Donald Trump, are revealing what has long been evident. Neither Russia, the aggressor country, has achieved its initial objective, which was none other than to reach Kiev and establish a puppet government, nor Ukraine, the invaded country, has managed to repel the enemy, which has consolidated its positions on the eastern border (Russia controls 19% of Ukrainian territory). If peace more or less recognizes this territorial situation, while, as is currently on the table, including a solid security guarantee for Ukraine that makes a new Russian attack unfeasible but does not entail Kiev's entry into NATO, neither of the two warring sides will have emerged victorious from the war.

The meeting in Washington with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders has ended the prospect of Kiev finally being able to sit at the table of elders. Donald Trump stated in a post on Truth Social that he had begun preparations to organize a meeting between Zelensky and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The date and location remain unclear. After that first meeting, another meeting would be held, with a three-way meeting: Putin, Zelensky, and Trump. The Kremlin has yet to officially comment on the upcoming meeting.

A few hours after that Donald Trump announced that he would deliver the coveted Patriot air defense systems to Volodymyr Zelensky.Vladimir Putin has responded with the most massive bombardment of Ukraine since the war began. A total of 728 drones and 13 missiles, a figure far exceeding the previous record, set last Friday, when the Russian army launched a combined attack of 550 aircraft and missiles. At least six people died and another 39 were wounded, while the Ukrainian army, for its part, killed three and wounded six more in an air offensive in Kursk.

Vladimir Putin is convinced he can win the war in Ukraine and will not stop fighting until he sees the best cards to sit down and negotiate peace. The Russian president is exploiting Donald Trump's doubts and increasing airstrikes, while paving the way for a new offensive this summer in the Donbas. Meanwhile, the Kremlin's diplomatic machinery is seeking to set the pace for talks that have become an intimidating monologue.

Some peace treaties make peace possible; others, more war. What will happen in Ukraine if it ends up signing one in the coming months? Another, in fact, because the first two that refer to the current situation were signed between September 2014 and February 2015. The history of the conflict doesn't offer much optimism. At least for now. "The Minsk II agreement was intended to end Russia's limited invasion of Ukraine in 2015, but instead laid the groundwork for the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022", says Natalia Bugayova, a researcher attached to the Institute for the Study of War, one think tank based in Washington. From that perspective, the two pacts signed in the Belarusian capital were a failure.

Some peace treaties make peace possible; others, more war. What will happen in Ukraine if it ends up signing one in the coming months? Another, in fact, because the first two that refer to the current situation were signed between September 2014 and February 2015. The history of the conflict doesn't offer much optimism. At least for now. "The Minsk II agreement was intended to end Russia's limited invasion of Ukraine in 2015, but instead laid the groundwork for the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022", says Natalia Bugayova, a researcher attached to the Institute for the Study of War, one think tank based in Washington. From that perspective, the two pacts signed in the Belarusian capital were a failure.

London's fulfillment gift to Washington. With a dramatic speech, Remembering the invasion of Ukraine three years ago and the risks Europe faces from Vladimir Putin's Russia, Keir Starmer appeared in Downing Street on Tuesday to announce that his government will increase investment in defence to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, and that by the end of 2030, the level will be 3%. Starmer thus embraces the traditional "if you want peace, prepare for war."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has implicitly contradicted the words of the US president in the Oval Office of the White House during his meeting yesterday with French President Emmanuel Macron. Washington's rush to end the war and Vladimir Putin's priorities do not seem to coincide. When asked at his daily press conference about Trump's claims that Russia would be open to the deployment of European peacekeepers in Ukraine, Peskov referred reporters to an earlier statement by Russian authorities saying that such a move would be unacceptable to Moscow.

Keir Starmer takes a step forward in his commitment to the European continent and the integrity of Ukraine. Hours before the Informal meeting of European leaders The British Prime Minister, who summoned President Emmanuel Macron to Paris on Monday evening, announced that London could "deploy British troops on the ground, if necessary" to guarantee a "lasting peace" in Ukraine. Under no circumstances would they be there while there was fighting. In a very significant article published in the ultra-conservative daily Daily Telegraph, Very critical and harsh with Starmer's management since he came to power, the Labour leader said: "We are facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our continent. This is not just a question about the future of Ukraine, it is also an existential question for the whole of Europe."