Trump's nod to Europe on a future peace force for Ukraine vastly improves its chances of success
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Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Obstacles to peace remain, regardless of Trump's impatience to broker a settlement
A dud, followed by a date. The dud was the nearly three-hour meeting between two combative presidents seeking to convince each other, and the world, that they want peace in Ukraine. The date is the Monday meeting now scheduled between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. And while there was no swift agreement at the Alaska summit, there's the potential for a second date — a possible additional meeting between Mr. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin — which might wipe away the notion the session at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was anti-climatical. Trump says no summit deal with Putin over Ukraine war, but talks were 'very productive' Zelensky to meet Trump on Monday after U.S.-Russia summit failed to secure ceasefire What emerged early Saturday was the sentiment, shared by the Russian and American presidents but not by the Ukrainians and European leaders, that, as Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, 'the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.' That revealed a clear advantage to Mr. Putin and a clear rebuke to Mr. Zelensky. One of the other few discernible signals emerging from the session that began with a red-carpet greeting and military flyover salute was yet another split between Mr. Trump and longtime American allies. The leaders of Great Britain, France, Germany, Finland, Italy, Poland, the European Union, and the European Council issued a threat to increase economic pressure on Russia 'as long as the killing in Ukraine continues,' adding, 'We will continue to strengthen sanctions and wider economic measures to put pressure on Russia's war economy until there is a just and lasting peace.' Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene accused Mr. Putin of 'more gaslighting and veiled threats.' All this, especially the prospect of further meetings, gives 21st century meaning to the 20th century term 'shuttle diplomacy,' the effort that Henry Kissinger pioneered more than a half-century ago when — like the old Eastern Airlines air travel in the northeast corridor of the United States between Washington and New York, itself a metaphor from the way a needle carries yarn in a weaving loom — the American envoy shuttled between Middle East capitals in his effort to end hostilities growing out of the Yom Kippur War. And like the Kissinger episode — starring a figure known for dark intrigue and quiet, informal assurances made, warped, broken, and reshaped — what is occurring on the surface in the effort to bring the Ukraine combat to a close almost certainly represents only a fraction of what is occurring in hushed meetings, back-channel communications, and fevered private negotiations. Shribman: Trump and Putin in Alaska is a study in contrasts But amid all the confidences and code, the clearest indications may have come from the master of obfuscation himself, Mr. Putin. It came at the end of what appeared to be — continual warning: surface appearances in moments like these almost always obscure real developments, though not necessarily progress — a bland meet-and-greet in a faraway venue that, over the decades, has been controlled by both countries. It does not require the tools and cynical eye of the veteran Kremlinologist to understand the meaning behind this Putin remark: 'We are convinced that in order to make the settlement lasting and long-term, we need to eliminate all the root causes of the conflict.' It is a contemporary example of the phrase ('riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma') that Winston Churchill employed to describe Russia's unpredictable, often inscrutable, conduct in the early years of the Second World War. The riddle/mystery/enigma quote is often employed by journalists and historians examining Russia. But what is almost never quoted from that Churchill broadcast from London on Oct. 1, 1939, are the dozen words that follow, a more prosaic but continually relevant insight from Great Britain's wartime leader: 'But perhaps there is a key. That key is Russian national interest.' In Mr. Putin's reckoning, Russian national interest is both historical (the role of Ukraine in various incarnations of Russia, including the Soviet Union) and geopolitical (the desire of Kyiv for association with the European Union and NATO and to stand separate from Moscow). There remain many obstacles to peace and transforming the world order, regardless of Mr. Trump's lightning-fast experience in transforming American domestic life and his impatience to broker a settlement as part of his thinly veiled attempt to win a Nobel Peace Prize. One is a vital part of the 'historic life-interests of Russia' that Churchill went on to set out in his 'enigma' remarks 86 years ago: control of, or at least the establishment of, a sphere of influence within the broad plain of Eastern Europe. Opinion: Trump meets like-minded Putin, while the West watches Another is the notion, seldom expressed but widely acknowledged, that Putin understands that the very act of continuing the fighting is an element of his leverage. And a third is Ukraine's reluctance — in a way an historic life-interest of its own — to swap land for peace. Relinquishing what Ukrainian military personnel have fought and died to hold onto, and what more than 13,580 civilians have died for, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, would be harsh medicine and not a cure in Kyiv. On the other hand — more obscurantism from the master — Mr. Putin is the only principal in these negotiations who knows fully the cost of the nearly three-and-a-half-year war against Ukraine in terms of military casualties, economic distress and public support in Russia. It is, of course, conceivable there might be a surprise. Mr. Trump loves surprises. Perhaps he will broker a deal — he loves deals, too — for Kyiv to trade Ukrainian membership in the European Union (but not NATO) for minor geographical losses that will save face for Mr. Putin and save deaths for Ukrainians. Maybe something else is in the works. Who knows? The smart betting is that right now the troika of Mr. Trump, Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelensky don't know either — but that the Ukrainian, as the American president put it in his contentious February Oval Office meeting, doesn't hold the strongest cards. The wisdom in cases like these often comes from the Chicago sportswriter and satirist Ring Lardner (1885-1933). As he put it in his short story 'The Constant Jay,' published in The New Yorker exactly a century ago, 'The race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong — but that's the way to bet.'
Vancouver Sun
2 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Ukraine's Zelenskyy to meet Trump on Monday after US-Russia summit fails to halt fighting
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Monday in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has shifted to saying an overall peace agreement — and not a ceasefire — is the next step in ending the 3 1/2-year-old war. Trump's abrupt reversal, aligning himself with a position held by Russian President Vladimir Putin, came in a social media post on Saturday, hours after they concluded a summit in Alaska that produced no agreement to halt the fighting. Putin has long said that Moscow is not interested in a temporary truce, and instead is seeking a long-term settlement that takes the Kremlin's interests into account. After calls with Zelenskyy and European leaders, Trump posted that 'it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In a statement after the Trump call, the European leaders did not address whether a peace deal was preferable to a ceasefire, saying they 'welcomed President Trump's efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia's war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace.' Trump's statement that a peace agreement should be reached before a ceasefire appears to indicate Trump's thinking is 'shifting towards Putin,' an approach that would allow Moscow to keep fighting while negotiating, said Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London. Zelenskyy, who was not invited to Alaska for the summit, said he had a 'long and substantive' conversation with Trump early Saturday. He said they would 'discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war' on Monday. It will be Zelenskyy's first visit to the U.S. since Trump berated him publicly for being 'disrespectful' during an extraordinary Oval Office meeting on Feb. 28. Trump, who also held calls with European leaders Saturday, confirmed the White House meeting and said that 'if all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin.' Trump rolled out the red carpet on Friday for Putin, who was in the U.S. for the first time in a decade and since the start of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But he gave little concrete detail afterward of what was discussed. On Saturday, he posted on social media that it 'went very well.' Trump had warned ahead of the summit of 'very severe consequences' for Russia if Putin doesn't agree to end the war. Zelenskyy seeks European involvement Zelenskyy reiterated the importance of involving European leaders, who also were not at the summit. 'It is important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America,' he said. 'We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine's security.' He didn't elaborate, but Zelenskyy previously has said that European partners put on hold a proposal to establish a foreign troop presence in Ukraine to deter Russian aggression because it lacked an American backstop. Zelenskyy said he spoke to Trump one-on-one and then in a call with other European leaders. In total, the conversations lasted over 90 minutes. Trump puts onus on Zelenskyy and Europe Trump said in Alaska that 'there's no deal until there's a deal,' after Putin claimed the two leaders had hammered out an 'understanding' on Ukraine and warned Europe not to 'torpedo the nascent progress.' During an interview with Fox News Channel before returning to Washington, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be on Zelenskyy 'to get it done,' but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. In their statement after speaking to Trump, major European leaders said they were ready to work with Trump and Zelenskyy toward 'a trilateral summit with European support.' The statement from French, German, Italian, British, Finnish, Polish and European Union said that 'Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees' and welcomed U.S. readiness to provide them. 'It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory,' they said. 'International borders must not be changed by force.' EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said 'the harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war anytime soon,' noting that Moscow launched new attacks on Ukraine even as the delegations met. 'Putin continues to drag out negotiations and hopes he gets away with it. He left Anchorage without making any commitments to end the killing,' she said. Ukrainian and Russian forces are fighting along a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Since spring, Russian troops have accelerated their gains, capturing the most territory since the opening stages of the war. 'Vladimir Putin came to the Alaska summit with the principal goal of stalling any pressure on Russia to end the war,' said Neil Melvin, director of international security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute. 'He will consider the summit outcome as mission accomplished.' Questions on a trilateral meeting Zelenskyy voiced support for Trump's proposal for a trilateral meeting with the U.S. and Russia. He said that 'key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.' But Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian state television Saturday that a possible three-way meeting 'has not been touched upon yet' in U.S.-Russia discussions. Zelenskyy wrote on X that he told Trump that 'sanctions should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war.' In apparent effort to bolster Zelenskyy's hand before he meets Trump, France, the U.K. and Germany will co-host a video call Sunday afternoon of so-called 'coalition of the willing' nations that could, in one way or another, help monitor and uphold any deal to end fighting, French President Emmanuel Macron's office said. Russian officials and media struck a largely positive tone after Friday's summit, with some describing it as a symbolic end to Putin's isolation in the West. Former President Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia's Security Council, praised the summit as a breakthrough in restoring high-level dialogue between Moscow and Washington, describing the talks as 'calm, without ultimatums and threats.' Putin has 'broken out of international isolation' and back on the world stage as one of two global leaders, and 'wasn't in the least challenged' by Trump, who also ignored an arrest warrant issued for Putin by the International Criminal Court, said Laurie Bristow, who was British ambassador to Russia from 2016 to 2020. 'Unless Mr. Putin is absolutely convinced that he cannot win militarily, the fighting is not going to stop,' Bristow told The Associated Press. 'That's the big takeaway from the Anchorage summit.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
2 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Ukraine's Zelenskyy to meet Trump on Monday after US-Russia summit fails to halt fighting
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Monday in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has shifted to saying an overall peace agreement — and not a ceasefire — is the next step in ending the 3 1/2-year-old war. Article content Trump's abrupt reversal, aligning himself with a position held by Russian President Vladimir Putin, came in a social media post on Saturday, hours after they concluded a summit in Alaska that produced no agreement to halt the fighting. Putin has long said that Moscow is not interested in a temporary truce, and instead is seeking a long-term settlement that takes the Kremlin's interests into account. Article content Article content Article content After calls with Zelenskyy and European leaders, Trump posted that 'it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.' Article content Article content In a statement after the Trump call, the European leaders did not address whether a peace deal was preferable to a ceasefire, saying they 'welcomed President Trump's efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia's war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace.' Article content Trump's statement that a peace agreement should be reached before a ceasefire appears to indicate Trump's thinking is 'shifting towards Putin,' an approach that would allow Moscow to keep fighting while negotiating, said Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London. Article content Article content Zelenskyy, who was not invited to Alaska for the summit, said he had a 'long and substantive' conversation with Trump early Saturday. He said they would 'discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war' on Monday. Article content Article content It will be Zelenskyy's first visit to the U.S. since Trump berated him publicly for being 'disrespectful' during an extraordinary Oval Office meeting on Feb. 28. Article content Trump, who also held calls with European leaders Saturday, confirmed the White House meeting and said that 'if all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin.' Article content Trump rolled out the red carpet on Friday for Putin, who was in the U.S. for the first time in a decade and since the start of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But he gave little concrete detail afterward of what was discussed. On Saturday, he posted on social media that it 'went very well.'
