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The fragile ceasefire in the Persian Gulf and the aborted peace talks between the US and Iran this

week have cast a long shadow over European capitals hoping for an end to hostilities in the

Middle East. Will they have any say over what follows? I'm Anne McHelvoy and my guest this week on the

EU confidential interview is Kurt Volker,

whose job it was to manage relations between the US and NATO allies

as a former ambassador to the organisation in the first decade of the 21st century.

Later, he'd go on to serve as US Special Representative for Ukraine

handling difficult negotiations during the

first Trump administration, so he knows what's at stake, and he knows what the main players are

like. Later in this episode two, I will be talking to my Brussels colleague, Ian Wishart,

who's in Nicosia covering the informal summit of EU leaders, giving solidarity to

Cyprus, currently the holder of the presidency of the Council after Iranian attacks on

British bases at the start of the war. First, Kurt Volker, welcome to this EU confidential.

Thank you so much. It is great to be with you, Anne.

You're talking to me from Europe this week. You're in Warsaw.

So you're getting a sense of how it feels this side of the Atlantic.

The ceasefire in the Persian Gulf has been extended indefinitely.

...