Donald Trump became the figure who quickly changed the context of initiatives related to peace in Ukraine. His promise to end the war within 24 hours, voiced but not specified in terms of means and script, forced politicians to build causal links in the progression from war to peace. In order to legitimize his words about a quick peace, Trump announced the appointment of a special representative for Ukraine, who should take care of related issues. His surname remains terra incognito, although the media are already expressing guesses and assumptions. According to the publication “Mirror of the week”, it could be Brian Hook – a lawyer who worked in the State Department under the administrations of George W. Bush and Donald Trump.
The subject of land concessions is no longer taboo
Trump has not yet taken the Oval Office, and the expectations associated with him have forced Europeans to reconsider approaches to peace in Ukraine.
The Washington Post writes about the appearance on the agenda of the European establishment of the treatment of peace, which were taboo before the elections in the USA. In fact, we are talking about land concessions to the aggressor country in order to end the war. At the same time, the formula “land for the sake of peace” is not used, but its modified analogue: “land for the security of Ukraine”. One way or another, European politicians speak loudly about what was previously unacceptable and was considered as “rewarding aggression”.
On the condition of anonymity The Washington Post conducts interviews with ten high-ranking European officials, and all of them testify to the readiness to consider territorial concessions in the agreement between Kyiv and Moscow. For them, these are far from marginal approaches to ending the war.
What the final agreement will look like is currently unclear, many options for peace plans are being considered.
At the same time, European politicians proceed from the fact that Russian troops currently control a fifth of Ukrainian territory. The freezing of the contact line and the demarcation demarcation will one way or another lead to our country losing its lands.
Camille Grand, a former assistant secretary general of NATO and an influential political analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations, even suggested that the talks could take place “earlier than expected” but would require “certain concessions on both sides.”
In addition, the official noted that due to the reduction of aid and support to Ukraine, the agreement that Trump’s team may initiate will be disadvantageous for Kyiv.
At the same time, European partners understand that they must strengthen Ukraine in every possible way so that our country’s position in potential negotiations is as strong as possible.
What did Trump and Putin talk about?
Edition CNBC reports that in just two days after announcing his victory, Trump spoke with 70 world leaders. One of his telephone respondents was Volodymyr Zelenskyi. As for the call to Putin, it still remains insufficiently verified. The Russian side denies the fact of communication between the winner of the American elections and its president. Instead, the American media present this conversation as a fait accompli.
A former US official quoted by The Washington Post, knows about the dialogue between Trump and Putin. He believes that Trump does not want to start his term with the intensification of the crisis, which may be caused by escalation on the part of Russia. This creates an additional motivation for him to act so that the situation in Ukraine does not escalate even more, since any new crisis on the international arena will make it difficult for him to start his presidential activities. What else does the American media know about this conversation? Trump made the call from his home at a resort in Florida, as he currently has no access to government communications networks. Probably, because of this, information about his contact with Putin was not widely publicized. It is known that he advised the Russian president to refrain from escalating the war in Ukraine and reminded about the significant military presence of the USA in Europe.
Biden promises to “push every dollar out the door” by January 20
Meanwhile, the Biden Administration promises to quickly provide Ukraine with as much military aid as possible while it remains in power. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is on an emergency trip to Brussels to meet with European and Ukrainian officials to discuss a further strategy to support Kyiv. This is planned to be done before President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to quickly end the war in Ukraine, begins his term. In Kyiv and some European capitals, there is growing fear that a quick end to the conflict could mean unwanted concessions to the Kremlin.
European security structures are currently working on strengthening support for Ukraine, as they recognize that negotiations with Russia may become inevitable. Blinken’s trip is aimed at developing a strategy that could provide Ukraine with sufficient support even after the change of administration in the United States.
The Biden administration is committed to ensuring that Ukraine has all the necessary resources, weapons and mobilized forces to continue effective resistance or to negotiate peace from a position of strength.
Blinken discussed this with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and other diplomats of the Alliance. During the joint press conferences the two leaders made a statement that the deployment of North Korean military forces along the border with Ukraine should be followed by a tough response.
Rutte, meanwhile, emphasized China’s important role in supporting Russia in its “military operations” as well as in the supply of weapons from Iran, which is financed by Russian funds.
Blinken assured reporters that President Joe Biden “determined to ensure that every dollar at our disposal is used by January 20.” when Trump takes office.
He also repeated the call to US allies to support Ukraine more actively.
“We hope for strong support from European partners and other countries in the process of mobilizing Ukraine,” said Blinken, calling for increased supplies of artillery, air defense systems, ammunition, as well as training for Ukrainian forces.
Trump is expected to pick Marco Rubio, known for his remarks about the “pragmatism” that Washington needs to show about the war, which has reached a stalemate, as secretary of state.
After the conversation with Blinken in Brussels, Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiga wrote on the network X: “I met with Mr. Blinken to thank the US support and his personal contribution. Russia’s use of North Korean military and ballistic missiles, Iranian drones poses a threat not only to Europe, but also to Asia and the Middle East. We must achieve a just peace through unity and strength”.
What is important is what will happen during these two months, not afterwards
Edition German wave citing an EU source on condition of anonymity as saying that the main focus during the talks was on what the Biden administration could implement in the next two months, not on what would happen after Trump came to power.
“They still have an opportunity to do something“, the diplomat told DW. “We want them to continue doing what they are doing, as soon as possible and in the greatest number.”
Ukraine has long been asking for permission to use American long-range weapons to strike targets on the territory of Russia. This question was raised again by Minister Sybig while in Brussels, but he did not receive an answer.
Little by little, Europe is preparing for a change of administration in the USA. EU officials are still negotiating with American officials, who have a little more than two months left to work. However, senior officials are already taking into account the January changes. Brussels understands that transatlantic relations could become strained again after Trump’s inauguration, as they were during his first presidency.
With the expected change in the US administration, Ukraine and its allies face new challenges regarding future support and the path to peace. Despite Trump’s promise to quickly end the war, Kyiv and its European partners are trying to strengthen their positions to avoid possible concessions that could become unacceptable for Ukrainian sovereignty. In Brussels, they emphasize the importance of maintaining unity in the face of increasing pressure from the new American government. Time is running out, and the question of providing maximum support to Ukraine before the change of power in the USA becomes critical. Instead of an uncertain peace, Ukraine seeks a just solution to the conflict that will ensure its long-term security and integrity, and European countries seem willing to go for it in order to achieve stability and justice on the continent.
