The Irish Times view on the Ukraine talks: critical barriers remain

As usual the Russian prelude to Ukraine “peace” talks is a brutal reminder of its power, and so the first three-way peace talks this weekend between Russia, Ukraine and the US were ushered in by a wave of drone attacks on Kyiv, striking its battered energy system, leaving 6,000 buildings without heating. Moscow continues, moreover, to insist on the complete withdrawal of Ukraine from the Donetsk region, including territory and cities which Kyiv continues to hold. Although he has apparently been prevailed upon to pull back from the seizure of Greenland, he still shows no sign of willingness to confront Putin, and his insistence on the right of the US to seize control of a strategically important neighbour has strengthened the Russian president’s rationale for the attack on Ukraine.