Peace momentum: on the White House meetings and the Ukraine war

The unprecedented multilateral summit at the White House on Monday between U.S. President Donald Trump and a host of European leaders, including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, just after Mr. Trump’s meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, points to a renewed willingness on all sides to end the Ukraine war. The Alaska summit marked a new start in Mr. Trump’s push for conflict resolution, although it did not yield an immediate breakthrough. While Mr. Trump invited Mr. Zelenskyy to the White House to discuss ‘the Putin proposal’, European leaders, including the British Prime Minister, France’s President and the chiefs of the European Commission and NATO, also travelled to Washington, in a strong show of solidarity with Ukraine. Mr. Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House, in February, had gone poorly. This time, Mr. Zelenskyy and his European allies were careful not to upset their host.

The message from Europe is clear: irrespective of Washington’s position, Europe is firmly committed to Ukraine’s security. But European leaders also recognise that they lack the capability to continue to back Ukraine in a war it is not winning should the U.S. cut off its weapons supplies to Kyiv. So, the challenge before the French and British leaders was to persuade Mr. Trump — he has already ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine — to offer some form of American support for security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a final settlement. Europe has already begun planning to send a “reassurance force” to Ukraine. Mr. Trump’s comments signalling support for the idea of security guarantee were a small but significant breakthrough. He said Europe would be “the first line of defence” but did not rule out American involvement, adding that Mr. Putin would accept western security guarantees for Ukraine. The next big question is on where to draw the ceasefire line. Mr. Putin wants all of Donbas and is willing to freeze the frontline in the south. Mr. Zelenskyy and his European partners have so far ruled out any territorial concessions for peace, but all sides are ready to continue the talks. Mr. Zelenskyy should adopt a pragmatic approach, weighing Ukraine’s future security against its present battlefield vulnerabilities. Mr. Putin should realise that this may be his best opportunity to end the war that he launched in February 2022. Mr. Trump and the European leaders must now work towards a compromise formula that addresses Ukraine’s future security needs and Russia’s past grievances. The current momentum for peace should not be squandered.