As Ukraine’s European Allies struggle to unite in advance of an important White House Meeting, a frantic diplomatic ballet unfolds across the Atlantic.
Donald Trump has summoned Volodymyr Zelenskiy to Washington, just days after his secret and unconclusive meeting with Vladimir Putin.
As the fate of Ukraine is in doubt, the air is filled with fear.
France, in a sign of urgency and to help coordinate strategy on Sunday, announced that the key European supporters of Ukraine – the “Coalition of the Willing”, would hold an urgent video conference.
Zelenskiy, along with his allies, continue to press for a tripartite summit between Putin and the United States. This goal seems to be getting further away as Putin shows no signs of easing his hardline position to stop the conflict, which is now in its fourth year.
Alaska’s shadow
This current storm was sparked by the marathon summit between Trump and Putin on Friday in Alaska. Trump called the meetings “productive”, but they didn’t produce a clear path towards peace.
The summit was a failure. Instead, Trump shifted the responsibility for resolving the conflict to Kyiv.
Zelenskiy was steadfast after speaking to the US President on Saturday. In a post to social media, he stated that Ukraine was ready to make every effort possible to bring about peace.
The conversation was long and very substantive. Before inviting European leaders, we began with one-onone discussions. The call was over an hour-and-ahalf long, with about one hour being our bilateral discussion with President Trump. Ukraine affirms
In his Truth Social posting, Trump confirmed that he would be visiting Washington and hinted at the possibility of meeting with three other leaders “if everything works out.”
Behind the diplomatic language was a message that wasn’t compromising.
People familiar with the situation say that Trump told his allies the core of Putin’s demand is unchanged. He still wants Kyiv cede the control over the Donbas area.
As a result, Russia would stop its advance in Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. This effectively froze the battle lines. This is the price that Zelenskiy repeatedly refused to pay.
A tightrope alliance of the anxious
Details emerging from the Summit have not helped to calm the nerves European officials who now walk a tight diplomatic rope.
They project strength and unity in public. France, Germany and Italy leaders declared in a statement that Ukraine will make the decisions about its own territory.
The statement stated that the “international borders cannot be altered by force” and added “Russia can’t have a say in Ukraine’s path to EU or NATO.”
In private, though, many are deeply concerned that Trump will, in his quest for a good deal, now press Zelenskiy into making devastating concessions on territorial issues.
The historically uneasy relationship of the two leaders is a further source of concern. Their last Oval Office Meeting in February was reportedly a screaming match which led to the temporary suspension in US military assistance.
Kaja Kallas, EU’s chief of foreign affairs said that President Trump’s determination to achieve a deal was vital. But the reality is, Russia will not end this conflict anytime soon.
She said that Putin has been dragging out the negotiations, and left Anchorage “without making any commitments” to stop the violence.
The war that is amidst words of peace
This brutal reality served as the backdrop for weekend diplomacy. According to Ukraine Air Force, as world leaders talked of peace, Russia launched a barrage consisting of 85 drones, a missile and ballistics against Ukrainian territory over night.
This attack was a clear indication of Moscow’s intention to engage in negotiations from a position based on unrelenting violence, which Zelenskiy emphasized with bitter irony.
On the day of the negotiations, Russians also kill. “And that says volumes,” he wrote on X.
The Russians also kill on the day of the negotiations. This speaks for itself. We’ve recently discussed what could work with Americans and Europeans. All parties need a fair end to this war. Ukraine is prepared to do everything it can to end the war.
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He now flies from London to Washington, carrying the hopes and fears of allies, to meet a US President who is clear about what he most wants: A deal.
The Daily Hodl published the following article: As Zelenskiy prepares to meet Trump, allies have crisis discussions over fears of forced-deals.
