Russian foreign minister says ‘still a long way to go’ in Ukraine war peace talks – Europe live

From 2h agoMorning opening: 'Long way to go' on Ukraine, Russia's foreign minister saysJakub KrupaRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that there was no reason to be enthusiastic about US president Donald Trump’s pressure on Europe and Ukraine as there was still a long way to go in talks on peace in Ukraine, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported.Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting in Moscow, Russia. Photograph: Ramil Sitdikov/EPAHis comments just days after what the US, Ukraine and Russia said were difficult, but constructive talks in Abu Dhabi, but suggest that reaching a final agreement could be very difficult.Russia still pursues its original maximalist demands, including territorial claims to control Ukraine’s eastern regions, and continues to oppose the prospect of Ukraine ever joining NATO or ever hosting western troops as part of security guarantees.Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address yesterday that “reliable security guarantees are the only real foundation for peace,” as he warned that Russia could test it any peace settlement through strikes or “hybrid operations of some kind.”In the meantime, Russia continues its strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with an energy facility in the soutern Black Sea region of Odesa hit overnight, even as the country continues to be gripped by cold temperatures.Elsewhere, we will be looking at the ongoing discussion on how to improve European competitiveness ahead of this Thursday’s informal EU summit on the issue, the latest on the EU-US trade deal which was briefly put on hold, and other topics from across the continent.It’s Tuesday, 10 February 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.Good morning.Key events4m agoFrance's Macron urges Europe to assert its position amid dramatic changes in world order with US, China relations1h agoRussia claims to make advances in Zaporizhzhia region2h agoKremlin says no date for next round of Ukraine talks yet2h agoRussia continues hybrid warfare against NATO and is not interested in real talks on Ukraine, Estonia warns2h agoMorning opening: 'Long way to go' on Ukraine, Russia's foreign minister saysShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureFrance's Macron urges Europe to assert its position amid dramatic changes in world order with US, China relationsThe French president, Emmanuel Macron, has urged Europe to reassert its position in the world, as the continent faces rapidally changing landscape in politics and trade.In an interview with a group of European media outlets, Macron warned that the strategy of bowing down to the US and other geopolitical powers doesn’t work and urged Europe to urgently step up its integration to get ready to face “permanent instability” ahead.“It is time for Europe to wake up … If we do not decide for ourselves, we will be swept away,” he told El País (€) and others, including Süddeutsche Zeitung (€), Financial Times (£), and Le Monde (€).Macron said Europe was facing “a profound geopolitical rapture” with “a profound shock” on trade and defence as its relations with China and the US change.“I think the best way is to reduce risk, reduce dependencies, and make decisions for ourselves instead of waiting for the next crisis,” he said.“If we choose to be spectators, we will be vassals,” he said, calling it “the Greenland moment,” saying the US interest in a territory of its NATO ally should be a wake-up call for European leaders.Macron said that Europeans “stand firm, but react too slowly,” and need to assert their position as a global superpower, with more “common leadership” on the continent.He argued that the Franco-British-led Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine was an example of an initiative that allowed Europe to build a strong, international alliance to defend its interests, also in defence and security.But in comments likely to raise some eyebrows, Macron also once again suggested that Europe should reopen diplomatic channels with Moscow, so to “not delegate this discussion” to others, including the US.He said Europe should engage with Russia “without being naive or pressuring the Ukrainians, but also without having to depend on a third party” to conduct these talks. “We have European interests to defend and I’m not going to delegate them to anyone, not even the US.” Macron also spoke about what he saw as a real risk of tensions with the US flaring up again over the European push to regulate social media platforms or Greenland.Here’s our daily briefing on Ukraine to bring you up to speed on the latest developments from the last 24 hours.The headlines: Ukraine and France have agreed to start joint weapons production, the Ukrainian defence minister said on Monday after hosting his French counterpart in Kyiv. Ukraine is opening up exports of its domestically produced weapons, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said – a way for Kyiv to cash in on its wartime technological advances to generate badly needed funds. Russian attacks damaged production sites of Ukraine’s state-run oil and gas company Naftogaz in the Poltava and Sumy regions, the company’s CEO said on Monday. The EU has proposed extending its sanctions against Russia to include ports in Georgia and Indonesia that handle Russian oil, the first time it would target ports in third countries, a proposal document showed. Read in full:Russia claims to make advances in Zaporizhzhia regionIn the meantime, Russia’s defence ministry claimed its forces had captured the settlement of Zaliznychne in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, Russian state news agency RIA reported.Kremlin says no date for next round of Ukraine talks yetMeanwhile, the Kremlin has just said there was no date set yet for the next round of talks on Ukraine – but insisted the negotiations were likely to happen soon, Reuters reported.Russia continues hybrid warfare against NATO and is not interested in real talks on Ukraine, Estonia warnsShaun WalkerEstonia’s foreign intelligence service has released its annual assessment of the global security situation this morning, with a heavy focus on the threat from its neighbour Russia.Estonian soldiers on the Tapa range in Estonia, where they are working alongside British soldiers who are taking part in Exercise Winter Camp, which is part of Operation Cabrit, the UK’s contribution to NATO’s Forward Land Forces in Estonia and Poland. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PAThe forecast says Russia is unlikely to launch a conventional attack against NATO states over the next year but to continue with various forms of hybrid warfare.It contradicts recent US claims that a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine is close, saying there is no sign Vladimir Putin is interested in real negotiations.I joined a briefing with Kaupo Rosin, the head of the service, who said: “We see that Russia is setting long-term operational objectives in the war against Ukraine. This confirms that the so-called peace talk rhetoric is merely a tactic to buy time, and Russia has no intention of ending the war until its objectives are achieved.” On claims from Trump administration officials that a deal in peace talks is close, he said: “I do not know what the US assessment is based on. Putin would only make a proper deal in our view, if the economy or financial sector takes very heavy hits with, for example, additional sanctions, which would be directed towards oil and gas industry... If additional measures and pressure are applied, then maybe Putin’s calculus changes. But currently, we do not see any change in his thinking.” On Russia’s economic prospects over the coming year, Rosin said: “We see that Russia’s economy has entered a downturn, this is fuelled by defence sector expanding at the expense of the contracting civilian economy and sanctions that amplify low productivity caused by outdated technology. While an economic crisis is a possibility, the total collapse of the Russian economy remains highly unlikely. A more plausible outcome is that financial considerations will carry much greater weight in political decision-making than before.” Morning opening: 'Long way to go' on Ukraine, Russia's foreign minister saysJakub KrupaRussian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said that there was no reason to be enthusiastic about US president Donald Trump’s pressure on Europe and Ukraine as there was still a long way to go in talks on peace in Ukraine, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported.Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov attends a meeting in Moscow, Russia. Photograph: Ramil Sitdikov/EPAHis comments just days after what the US, Ukraine and Russia said were difficult, but constructive talks in Abu Dhabi, but suggest that reaching a final agreement could be very difficult.Russia still pursues its original maximalist demands, including territorial claims to control Ukraine’s eastern regions, and continues to oppose the prospect of Ukraine ever joining NATO or ever hosting western troops as part of security guarantees.Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address yesterday that “reliable security guarantees are the only real foundation for peace,” as he warned that Russia could test it any peace settlement through strikes or “hybrid operations of some kind.”In the meantime, Russia continues its strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with an energy facility in the soutern Black Sea region of Odesa hit overnight, even as the country continues to be gripped by cold temperatures.Elsewhere, we will be looking at the ongoing discussion on how to improve European competitiveness ahead of this Thursday’s informal EU summit on the issue, the latest on the EU-US trade deal which was briefly put on hold, and other topics from across the continent.It’s Tuesday, 10 February 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.Good morning.