【By Liu Bai, Observers Network】After the summit between the US and Russian leaders, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy confirmed that he will visit the White House on the 18th to meet with US President Trump. On August 17th, several European officials also confirmed that they would go to the United States to attend the meeting, including leaders from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and the EU.

As of the time of writing, confirmed European officials attending this meeting include: UK Prime Minister Starmer, French President Macron, German Chancellor Mertz, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, Finnish President Stubb, NATO Secretary General Rasmussen, and EU Commission President von der Leyen.

Trump previously told European leaders that he was willing to consider providing Ukraine with a security guarantee similar to Article 5 of NATO, which is seen as a significant shift in Trump's position. On the 17th, US President's special envoy for Ukraine issues, Witkov, said that Russian President Putin had agreed to accept "strong security guarantees" provided by the US and Europe in a peace agreement. However, this statement has not been confirmed by the Russian side.

European Leaders "All Go to the US"

On the afternoon of August 17th, von der Leyen stated on social media platform X that she would welcome Zelenskyy in Brussels that day and jointly attend the "Coalition of Willing" meeting, and at Zelenskyy's invitation, she would hold a meeting with Trump and other European leaders at the White House the next day.

The spokesperson of the German Federal Government, Stefan Kornelius, stated in a statement that Chancellor Mertz would travel to Washington on the 18th to attend the talks between Zelenskyy and Trump.

The spokesperson said that this visit would be an "information exchange" after the US-Russia summit. "Chancellor Mertz will discuss the current status of peace efforts with heads of state and government, and emphasize Germany's interest in a swift peace agreement for Ukraine," the statement said. "The discussions will cover security guarantees, territorial issues, and continued support for Ukraine against Russia, as well as maintaining sanctions pressure."

August 13, 2024, Berlin, Germany. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy holds a joint press conference with German Chancellor Mertz. IC Photo

Stubb posted on X confirming that he would "participate in a meeting on the issue of peace in Ukraine."

Macron's office issued a statement saying that European leaders would seek to "coordinate between the US and Europe to achieve a fair and lasting peace, safeguarding Ukraine's vital interests and European security."

Subsequently, Downing Street confirmed that Starmer would attend the meeting. The statement said that at the upcoming meeting at the White House, Starmer would join other European partners to prepare for further negotiations in the next phase and reiterate his continued support for Ukraine.

"No matter who enters the Oval Office with Zelenskyy, they will face a thankless task of trying to convince Trump to accept the principles of Europe, which he himself had already agreed to," CNN wrote.

Al Jazeera cited Nikolai Pozin, a European strategic affairs expert, who said that the deadline set by Trump for Russia had passed, but the conflict did not stop; instead, Russia was advancing its summer offensive, and the situation was getting worse. At the same time, Putin faced no sanctions, but rather had a summit, so regardless of the outcome of the summit, it was a major victory for Putin.

Pozin believed that another benefit Putin gained was that the summit was held without Zelenskyy's participation. He believed that reaching a peace agreement on the Ukraine issue was not the real purpose of Putin's summit, but rather ensuring Trump's support for Russia's proposal in this regard.

He said that the summit caused divisions within NATO, delayed Trump's plan to implement strict new sanctions, and the concept of isolating Russia was approaching complete collapse.

Witkov: Putin Agrees to US and Europe Provide Security Guarantees for Ukraine Similar to NATO Terms

According to the BBC, Europe is now closely monitoring Trump, and European leaders are trying to show Trump that they are essential for the peace agreement he desires. For Zelenskyy, this is an opportunity to make up for the disastrous event of his previous visit to the White House.

February 28, 2024, Washington D.C., USA. Trump meets with Zelenskyy at the White House. Visual China

The BBC said that everyone around the world watched in shock the incident at the White House in February. Zelenskyy was kicked out of the White House, and it was hard to imagine that this relationship could be repaired. But in the following months, European leaders worked behind the scenes to mediate and try to repair the relationship. Subsequently, Zelenskyy accepted relevant guidance, learned how to flatter and speak in terms of deals. In other words, communicate in Trump's way.

At a press conference with Zelenskyy later in the evening, von der Leyen said that Ukraine must be turned into a "steel porcupine," making it difficult for "potential aggressors" to digest.

"We must have strong security guarantees to protect Ukraine and European major security interests. Ukraine must be able to maintain its sovereignty and territorial integrity," she said. "The Ukrainian armed forces cannot be restricted, whether through cooperation with other third countries or accepting assistance from other third countries."

She also welcomed Trump's support for a security guarantee for Ukraine similar to NATO Article 5. She said that Ukraine's main European allies, the "Coalition of Willing," were ready to make their own contributions.

The Wall Street Journal reported on the 16th that Trump had informed European leaders via phone call that he was willing to consider providing security guarantees for Ukraine. This marked a significant shift in Trump's position on the issue.

Two sources also said that Trump and European leaders discussed a proposal - providing Ukraine with security guarantees similar to NATO Article 5. According to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, any attack on one of the 32 NATO member states is considered an attack on all members.

Witkov

Witkov, the US special envoy for Ukraine issues, told CNN on the 17th that during the Alaska meeting with Trump, Putin agreed to accept "strong security guarantees" provided by the US for Ukraine in a potential peace agreement.

Witkov confirmed that such security guarantees were indeed similar to NATO Article 5.

"We reached an agreement that the US and other European countries can effectively provide terms similar to Article 5 to cover security guarantees," he said. "We have reached an agreement on strong security guarantees, and I think this guarantee is game-changing."

He further explained, "Putin has clearly stated that Ukraine joining NATO is a red line. So we were discussing the possibility that this remains unchanged, assuming that Ukrainians can agree to and accept this... then we have secured this concession, that the US can provide protection similar to Article 5."

Russian side has not responded yet.

This article is exclusive to Observers Network. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7539572763460125222/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author and welcomes your opinion through the 【Like/Dislike】 buttons below.