Reference News Network August 12 report: The website of CNN in the United States published an article titled "Putin Seeks a Deal with Trump, Europeans Fear Becoming Footnotes in History" on August 10, authored by Tim Lister. The article is excerpted as follows:

European governments are not the first time to worry that Russian President Putin will precisely divide the transatlantic alliance and get everything he wants in Ukraine.

Before Putin and US President Trump unexpectedly announced that they would hold a summit in Alaska, a European diplomat who did not want to reveal his name told an interview: "We may become footnotes in history."

To some extent, Europe's concerns stem from their limited knowledge of the Kremlin's proposals to end the war in Ukraine. Putin has not revealed any details. After meeting with Putin, US envoy Witkow did not make any statements either.

Trump himself said after Witkow left Moscow: "The situation is very complicated. We will get some, we will exchange some. We will have some territorial exchanges for a win-win outcome."

Europeans are worried that "win-win" is a very unlikely outcome. There is no indication that Putin's highest demands have changed at all.

The sequence of events also poses a problem. Europeans believe that a ceasefire is a prerequisite for any territorial negotiations. European leaders issued a statement on the 9th: "A ceasefire along the current contact line should be the starting point for negotiations."

Another uncertainty is whether the Kremlin will agree to some form of European "security force" to ensure the ceasefire. All signs so far indicate that it will not allow any NATO member state to deploy such a force.

European leaders stated in their statement on the 9th that there must be "strong and credible security guarantees so that Ukraine can effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

But experience shows that Europeans may be in vain, despite their efforts to please and appease Trump.

"Since Trump took office in January this year, Europeans have bought unlimited tickets for the 'Trump roller coaster'. They climbed on, fastened their seat belts, often screamed in terror, but could not get off," said Rym Montaz, an expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the United States.

As French President Macron has long urged, Europe is paying the price for having no strategic identity independent of the United States.

Although Europeans are very eager to support and protect Ukraine, they can only beg and guess what decisions will be made in their absence. (Translated by Xu Yanhong)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7537572428185076234/

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