Russia's superior logistical position along with its grinding offensive tactics have worn down Ukraine's defenses and left the country with a desperate manpower shortage.  The recent capture of the vital hub of Pokrovsk has now opened the door to an accelerating Russian advance.

The Russian offensive is gaining significant ground from Pokrovsk to the north, all the way to Kupiansk.  The strategic city of Siversk is now largely under control of Russia according to geo-location mapping.  Myrnohrad, also near Pokrovsk, has been flattened by artillery and FABs.  

Ukraine's ability to stall Russian forces is faltering, allowing the Kremlin to move troops in a swift manner closer to maneuver warfare instead of the slow and methodical process of attrition.  Ukraine continues to deny they are in trouble, but the writing is on the wall. 

This helps to explain Europe's sudden interest in "peace negotiation", but not for the purposes of establishing actual peace.  First and foremost, we know Europe is not interested in peace because they largely refuse to engage directly with Putin and Russia in negotiations. 

Instead, European leaders continue to pretend as if they can establish a peace deal unilaterally without involving the Kremlin.  They have also consistently tried to sabotage Donald Trump's efforts for a quick resolution by deluding Zelensky with promises of access to Russian assets. 

The Europeans have in fact announced their plan to confiscate Russian assets that have been frozen since the beginning of the war, using them to help fund Ukraine's military and infrastructure.  Trump had initially intended to use those assets as a bargaining chip to convince the Russians to support his peace plan.

Zelensky and European officials have spoken often about sustaining the war for at least another two years, which is foolish given the current state of Ukraine's front lines.  Russia does not need to conquer vast swaths of territory to win, all Russia needs to do is kill Ukrainian troops until there aren't enough left to maintain a proper defensive line.  After that, Zelensky will lose the whole country, not just the eastern third.   

Europe also continues to push for troop deployments, using NATO as a "peacekeeping force" as part of the negotiations.  Putin has repeatedly stated that this would lead to wider war.  After all, it was the encroachment of NATO into Ukraine over a decade ago that ultimately triggered the current war.