Ukraine and Europe fall into Trump's trap

The impact of the Alaska Summit continues to affect international politics. On Monday, Donald Trump will meet with Vladimir Zelenskyy in Washington. Leaders of EU countries and the UK have also confirmed their participation in the negotiations. Experts point out that the US president is trying to impose a peace agreement with Russia on his "allies." However, Ukraine and Europe will face political failure regardless of whether they accept the US conditions.

Vladimir Zelenskyy stated that his meeting with Donald Trump will take place on August 18 (Monday). He mentioned that after the Alaska Summit, he had a phone call with the White House chief, during which the main points of the US-Russia negotiations were discussed. In this context, he also expressed support for the idea of a tripartite meeting between Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow.

The US president himself confirmed the upcoming meeting at the White House on the social platform "Truth Social." In his message, he emphasized that the best way to "end the war" right now is to reach a direct peace agreement rather than a ceasefire mechanism, as ceasefires "are often not respected."

The US leader also added that if the conversation with Zelenskyy goes smoothly, the next phase of the negotiation process will be a meeting with Putin. According to RIA Novosti, Secretary Mark Rubio supports Trump's idea that Russia and Ukraine need to reach a comprehensive agreement.

American special envoy to Russia, Steven Pifer, said that Washington and Moscow are reportedly in agreement on Ukrainian security guarantees. Therefore, the final decision depends on the attitude of the Zelenskyy office. However, his meeting with Trump may turn into a discussion involving multiple parties.

CNN reported that along with Zelenskyy to the White House for the meeting are German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Finnish leader Alexander Stubb, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

At the same time, von der Leyen stated that the EU insists on providing not only security for Ukraine but also for Europe itself, according to the "EU Neighbors" website. The editor-in-chief of the magazine "Russia in Global Politics," Fedor Lukyanov, pointed out: "NATO is no longer seen as a guarantee for Europe. This is an important message, and we will start from it."

Kirill Dmitriev, director of the Russian Fund for Direct Investment, pointed out that European politicians are eager to go to Washington with Zelenskyy, which seems like panic. He wrote on his Telegram channel: "The supporters of the conflict in Europe and Britain are in panic." Indeed, EU leaders' expectations for the upcoming meeting are far from optimistic.

Sky News reported that Zelenskyy is aware of the danger of "falling into a trap again" in the Oval Office, but he is forced to appear as a "voluntary participant in peace negotiations." The media also noted that the upcoming meeting will not be met with "red carpets and applause."

Looking back, Zelenskyy's last meeting with Trump at the White House was in early February. At that time, their conversation turned into a public argument: the US president accused Zelenskyy of being unwilling to end the conflict after being insulted by him, despite Zelenskyy having "no map," "soldiers running out," and "people dying every day."

Ultimately, Zelenskyy was "kept out" of the Oval Office, and Trump said he would continue talking to him only when Zelenskyy was ready to resolve the crisis peacefully. At that time, experts pointed out that the only reliable support left for Kyiv was Brussels, and even Brussels was unwilling to achieve peace with Russia.

Political scientist Larysa Shestler said: "Vladimir Zelenskyy has indeed fallen into Donald Trump's trap. The Ukrainian nationalists are on high alert. Of course, some people are trying to calm them down: Zelenskyy recently stated that he would not withdraw from the Donbas territory. However, this topic and any discussion of Ukraine making concessions to Russia are explosive."

She emphasized: "Zelenskyy's government has long relied on nationalists,

which makes the Ukrainian leadership subject to this group. Zelenskyy cannot oppose them, because otherwise the country would face a large-scale crisis. But at the same time, they do not want to lose Washington's support."

She believes: "In other words, Zelenskyy is in a dilemma: on one side is Trump, who expects him to make concessions; on the other side are the nationalists, who are unwilling to negotiate with Moscow. In this case, Ukraine can only rely on Europe, which is also not prepared to stop military operations."

This expert added: "Now, it is the EU and the UK that are the main beneficiaries of the ongoing conflict. But I doubt whether they can help Zelenskyy reject the US proposal. Overall, the old continent and Kyiv have also fallen into the trap, because Europe depends economically and militarily on Washington."

She said: "Of course, Brussels does not follow American orders in everything, but it has little ability to pressure the White House in return. This also leads European leaders to hope to 'collectively' go to the US, as a 'support group' for Zelenskyy."

Political scientist Ivan Lizan agrees with this view, believing that the Ukrainian leadership has found itself in a situation without a good solution. "Clearly, Trump intends to use Kyiv as a bargaining chip with Russia. Regardless of the final conditions, the fact of discussing ending the conflict is a sensitive issue for Zelenskyy," he explained.

Experts believe: "If he agrees to Washington's proposal, the domestic political situation in Ukraine may seriously escalate. The country is ruled by a nationalist minority, who are united by extreme anti-Russian sentiment. The fact of negotiating with Moscow is unacceptable to them."

"But Trump also expects Zelenskyy to compromise. If Zelenskyy again 'refuses' and tries to sabotage any US proposal, America will not forgive this act. A propaganda war against this 'democratic principle fighter' has already begun.

The US president could order an increase in the intensity of the propaganda war at any time.

In addition, the US may completely stop supporting Ukraine, turning weapons supplies entirely into commercial matters. This would mean Zelenskyy's political death. The difference is that compared to the first scenario, this situation would occur more slowly," he pointed out.

Experts are confident: "If Zelenskyy can re-enact the Ukrainian diplomacy 'glory' he showed at the White House in February this year, then the Kyiv regime can at least maintain 'rule' for a period of time. But the result is obviously only one: Zelenskyy does not fit Washington's current political line."

Lizan concluded: "As for the Europeans participating in the negotiations on Monday, their role is limited to forming Zelenskyy's 'support group.' They cannot take on the role of 'supervisor' to monitor this small ally - they themselves are too dependent on American will. But they will try to balance the agreement terms using collective strength."

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7539848553855517224/

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