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European defence ministers meet in Poland ahead of fourth anniversary of Ukraine war - Europe live
#E5 defence ministers#Kraków meeting#Ukraine war anniversary#Ottawa Convention#Antipersonnel mines#European security#Peace negotiations
📌 Key Takeaways
E5 defence ministers meet in Kraków to coordinate on Ukraine conflict
Poland withdraws from Ottawa Convention banning antipersonnel mines
Poland can deploy mines along eastern border within 48 hours if threatened
Ukraine seeks to maintain European involvement in peace talks
Meeting comes ahead of fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion
📖 Full Retelling
Defence ministers from the E5 countries—France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom—met in Kraków, Poland on Friday, 20 February 2026, to coordinate on next steps in the Ukraine-Russia conflict amid limited progress in peace negotiations and growing concerns about Russia's aggressive posture. The gathering included Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas, and NATO's deputy secretary general Radmila Šekerinska, as allies sought unified approaches ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had emphasized the previous evening that Ukraine wanted to maintain European involvement in any further peace talks with Russia and the US to ensure European perspectives were adequately represented in negotiations. As diplomatic efforts continue to show limited progress, the meeting underscored the persistent challenges in resolving the conflict that has reshaped European security dynamics.
🏷️ Themes
European security, Ukraine-Russia conflict, Defense cooperation, Peace negotiations
The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction of 1997, known informally as the Ottawa Treaty, the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, or often simply the Mine Ban Treaty, aims at eliminating anti-personnel landmine...
A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, which formally ends a state of war between the parties. It is different from an armistice, which is an agreement to stop hostilities; a surrender, in which an army agrees to give up arms; or a cease...
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Original Source
03.49 EST Morning opening: How to end this war? Jakub Krupa Defence ministers of the E5 grouping – France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom – are meeting in the Polish city of Kraków this morning. They will be joined by their Ukrainian counterpart, Mykhailo Fedorov, the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas , and Nato’s deputy secretary general Radmila Šekerinska. Their meeting comes just days before the fourth anniversary of the full-scale Russian aggression on Ukraine , as allies seek to coordinate on the next steps. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed last night that Ukraine wanted to keep Europe involved in any further peace talks with Russia and the US “to ensure that Europe’s positions are taken into account.” But as the negotiations show limited progress, there are growing questions about the next steps in attempts to resolve the conflict. I will bring you all the key lines here, as well as other stories from across Europe. It’s Friday, 20 February 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live. Good morning.
