Yet big questions loom over the talks in Germany and Spain, most importantly whether the united western response to the conflict can be sustained — particularly as leaders face the threat of a global recession and growing anger at home over rising prices for gas, food and other goods.
Keeping up the pressure
After several rounds of western sanctions, Moscow is feeling the pinch. But while the fighting has shifted eastward away from Kyiv, Moscow’s incremental gains have led to increasing US and European anxiety at the trajectory of the war.
At the same time, sanctions on Russian oil and gas have helped contribute to a surge in energy prices, leading to pain at the gas pump. And the war’s effect on Ukrainian grain exports has led to a surge in food prices and the threat of a hunger crisis in poorer nations, a topic expected to be discussed this week.
The ensuing political fallout has led to questions over leaders’ willingness to maintain the pressure campaign as the war grinds…
