The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is a bilateral meeting that all of Europe would like to attend, and for good reason, writes the British broadcaster BBC.
The planned meeting in Alaska on the 15th of August is expected to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, and it is likely that territorial concessions will also be discussed. Europe, let alone Ukraine, does not want borders to be redrawn by force. However, so far neither Ukraine, which Russia has violently invaded, nor any of the continent’s representatives have been invited to the negotiating table.
Former British Foreign Secretary Lord Simon McDonald warned that we should be prepared for some rather crazy demands from Russia. He added that the talks would be theatrical, and Putin would demand what no one would agree to, with one exception – Donald Trump.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated that he will not agree to give up parts of the territory, and freezing the conflict along the current front line will not be enough. Zelensky said that giving up territory would not stop Russia’s war machine, but would only embolden Moscow.
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said:
“It’s clear Putin wants a photo with the most influential people on Earth, which is President Trump,
and he wants sanctions to be postponed, which he’ll probably get. The question is, what is success for the US in the meeting? If President Zelensky is there, it would be a clear success.”
How will it be possible to discuss the Kremlin’s offers if Ukraine is not at the negotiating table? Trump has said that Zelensky “could come.” But Kiyv and Europe want to hear a clear “yes” rather than a “maybe.” Adding to the alarm is the fact that the White House has agreed to the Kremlin’s idea of such a format for talks.
Brussels is usually sleepy in August, but not this time. Kallas convened a virtual meeting of foreign ministers on the 11th of August, where officials agreed to demand a complete ceasefire before any agreement is reached. New sanctions on Moscow have also been announced.
A BBC journalist asked Kallas what Trump meant by the exchange of territory. The politician replied that he would have to ask Trump, but it is clear that an aggressor should not be rewarded for violence. In that case, there will be even more aggression in the world, because it will be shown that it pays off.
Europe is currently doing two things: gathering forces in support of Ukraine and trying to gain positions in the US-led peace process.
Regardless of whether Zelensky goes to Alaska or not, the doors to the European Union are closed, and it has been that way since Trump took office in January. Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has said the bloc will not be involved in the talks.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has said Europe should play a bigger role in the talks because it is an existential issue for Europe’s security interests.
While the Alaska meeting is crucial, Lord MacDonald stressed that ending the war will take a long time and Friday’s meeting may end without any tangible gains.
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