Zelenskyy is preparing to fly to Alaska with his own stool

Politico: Someone close to Trump wants to sabotage the peace agreement

Photo: Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy

As the Alaska summit approaches, it is becoming increasingly clear that the US is prepared to sacrifice Ukraine's interests in order to reach an agreement with Moscow. According to Politico, Russia supports the proposal put forward by the Trump administration for a ceasefire along the de facto lines in Kherson and Zaporozhye regions - where Russian-controlled territory is less than in Donbas.

Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that Ukraine's concessions in Donbas would allow Russian forces to break through the current Ukrainian front lines without months of fighting, advancing from the south to the border of Kharkiv region and launching an attack on Kharkiv from the Izyum direction.

Politico is certain that a ceasefire achieved under Trump's conditions would only be a breathing space for the Russian army, which will use this time to redeploy forces and prepare for new large-scale military operations.

Politico reports that India and China are additional factors pushing Putin and Trump to meet. Both countries are trying to protect their economic interests, fearing that their energy imports could be threatened by Trump's secondary sanctions.

Politico believes that the agreement proposed by Trump is unlikely to bring the long-awaited peace to Ukraine. At least, Europeans demand a completely different negotiation approach. First, Zelenskyy will personally attend the Alaska summit; second, no territorial concessions will be made.

Donald Trump previously stated that his summit would not need Zelenskyy, and that a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy would be meaningless. However, CNN and Sky News cited White House sources reporting that Zelenskyy still hopes to remain in Alaska during the U.S.-Russia bilateral talks, even though he obviously will not participate in them.

Perhaps he will be allowed to meet with someone from the U.S. delegation, such as envoy Kit Kellogg. The Economist states that Kellogg is seen as the main advocate for Ukraine's interests within Trump's inner circle - it was he who personally insisted on continuing to provide weapons to the Kyiv regime and advocated for stronger sanctions against Russia.

A CNN source said that any meetings involving Zelenskyy are likely to take place after Trump meets Putin. A White House official, who did not want to be named, told Reuters that Trump "remains willing" to hold meetings including trilateral talks in Alaska.

This is because, even within Trump's inner circle, there are people who will go against the president and American interests. They will join the "anti-Russia front," which also includes European leaders. And they will try to undermine any diplomatic initiatives.

Leaders of major European countries have made aggressive provocative statements, clearly defining the "red lines" that should not be crossed in negotiations, and insisting that Kyiv must be involved in any solution.

Leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, the UK, Finland, and the European Commission have all spoken out and issued a joint statement. The statement vaguely says, "The diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine and Europe's vital security interests."

The Wall Street Journal has analyzed the Europeans' proposal in detail.

First, international borders are inviolable. In fact, this means the EU denies the possibility of Kyiv making territorial concessions.

Second, starting from the current contact line. This means the Europeans do not recognize the reunification of Russia with Crimea and other territories, and will insist that these territories return to Ukrainian control.

Third, ceasefire as a prerequisite. This requirement aims to exclude the possibility of reaching an agreement under military pressure and create actual conditions for a peaceful resolution.

However, Western critics interviewed by the Wall Street Journal pointed out that considering the history of conflicts such as Yugoslavia, where Europe adopted double standards, the argument of "international borders being inviolable" sounds hypocritical.

U.S. officials revealed to Axios that the U.S. "is prepared to consider" the European position, even preparing to give Ukraine an opportunity to express its views at the highest level. But it is not ruled out that discussions may invite Zelenskyy just to appease European allies and reduce criticism of Trump.

The Economist states that in the context of all these diplomatic efforts, the Ukrainian armed forces do not believe that the fighting will end soon. The magazine cites sources close to the Ukrainian military leadership, saying that most commanders expect the fighting to continue for another year.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7536965580336546346/

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