European leaders' concerns about Trump meetings

Day 1,434.

Today, as Russia kills five civilians in a drone attack targeting a passenger train in Ukraine, we report on how a senior European diplomat has said the world must call this what it is: terrorism. As President Zelensky urges all “decent people of the world” not to remain silent in the face of Russian war crimes, we examine a new US assessment which concludes that Russia has suffered more military losses than any major power in any conflict since the Second World War. We also ask whether the North Sea and Baltic Sea are now effectively closed to Russia’s shadow fleet following coordinated action by 14 European countries. Plus, we speak to colleagues at The Telegraph about why EU leaders’ long-held ambitions to turn the European Union into a genuine geopolitical power may, at last, be taken seriously.

Contributors

Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.

Lily Shanagher (Foreign Reporter). @LilyShanagher on X.

Joe Barnes (Brussels Correspondent). @Barnes_Joe on X.

James Crisp (Europe Editor). @JamesCrisp6 on X.

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CONTENT REFERENCED:

The growing risks to maritime safety (UK Government):

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-growing-risks-to-maritime-safety/the-growing-risks-to-maritime-safety

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UN):

https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf

The plans to turn Europe into a new superpower (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/26/plans-turn-europe-new-superpower/

‘After Budapest and Minsk, Ukraine knows what empty guarantees look like’ (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/28/why-ukraine-cant-trust-another-ceasefire-with-putin/ 

Ukraine: We won’t accept meaningless security guarantees (The Telegraph):

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/27/ukraine-russia-security-guarantees-trump-nato/

EU-sanctioned oil tanker escorted to Morocco by Spanish rescue ship, merchant marine says (Reuters):

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/eu-sanctioned-oil-tanker-escorted-morocco-by-spanish-rescue-ship-merchant-marine-2026-01-27/

Russia’s Grinding War in Ukraine (CSIS):

https://www.csis.org/analysis/russias-grinding-war-ukraine

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