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Donald Trump’s announcement that he will immediately begin talks with Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine has caused a wave of outrage among Kyiv’s allies. European capitals are baffled that they were not included in the discussions, and Ukraine insists that it will not allow its fate to be decided without its participation.
Why did the negotiations cause a shock?
According to Reuters, Politico, and the Kyiv Independent, the scandal erupted after it became known that Trump had called Putin first and only then Zelenskyy. However, two key concessions made by Washington through Defence Secretary Pete Hagel were the most worrying:
- Ukraine will not be able to return to the borders of 2014.
- Kyiv’s accession to NATO is recognised as an unrealistic scenario.
In addition, the Wall Street Journal reported that China has already proposed a meeting between Trump and Putin without Zelensky.
“Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, nothing about Europe without Europe,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said in an interview with Le Monde.
Is Europe left alone?
Another worrying signal was that Hegseth bluntly told European allies that the security of the continent is their own responsibility, as the US is now focused on confronting China. This means that future military and financial assistance to Ukraine will depend on Europe itself.
Former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has harshly criticised Trump’s approach:
“Why is the Trump administration handing out gifts to Putin – Ukraine’s territory and a rejection of NATO – before the talks even begin?”
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius also said that the United States should not make concessions to the Kremlin.
Kremlin rejoices, Europe despairs
Russia, which currently controls about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, has demanded that Kyiv officially renounce these lands and become a “neutral” state. Ukraine, for its part, is ready to compromise, but insists on security guarantees or NATO membership.
Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt compared this situation to the Munich Agreement of 1938, when Britain and France ceded to Hitler:
“Never start a negotiation with concessions. Even Chamberlain in 1938 did not stoop so low.”
Does this mean surrender?
US Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal called the decision a “betrayal of Ukraine”, while former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that the US position “looks like a rejection of Ukraine”.
“Trump’s meeting with Putin is a geopolitical gift to the Kremlin. It’s the same mistake as the talks with Kim Jong-un – they didn’t work,” summed up former Obama administration adviser Brett Bruen.
As Ukraine’s allies look for a way to maintain their position, the issue of negotiations is expected to be a central topic at the Munich Security Conference later this week.
