Trump announces intention to evaluate Putin as Europe becomes involved with Ukraine
In a significant development, US President Donald Trump has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin for a meeting in Alaska on Friday. The proposed talks come as Trump attempts to broker peace in Ukraine, a conflict that has persisted for years.
Trump has emphasized the importance of a bilateral meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a crucial first step towards any progress. He expects "constructive conversations" with Putin and may reveal a potential deal to European Union leaders, NATO leaders, and President Zelensky.
However, the path to peace is not straightforward. Russia demands a role in any security guarantees and a veto over Ukraine’s future security, which complicates negotiations. Ukraine, especially in regions like Donbas, opposes ceding sovereign territory and insists on deciding on its own territorial issues.
Trump's approach includes security guarantees for Ukraine, led by European nations, while Ukraine itself would not join NATO. He stresses the need for Ukraine to show "some flexibility" in the negotiations.
The intended sequence is a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting, followed by a possible trilateral meeting including Trump himself, to "wrap up" the negotiations if progress is made.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has invited the French, British, and other European leaders, the EU and NATO chiefs for virtual talks on Wednesday to discuss further options to exert pressure on Russia and preparation of possible peace negotiations.
Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Brussels on Monday to discuss imposing a 19th package of sanctions on Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned against capitulating to Putin's demands and stated that Russia must not receive any rewards or benefits for continuing the war.
It remains unclear if Putin would accept a meeting with Zelensky, who has publicly dared him to negotiate. European leaders are planning to speak separately with both Zelensky and Trump to discuss the war in Ukraine.
Trump described the upcoming summit with Putin as a "feel-out meeting" to gauge his ideas for ending the war in Ukraine. US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker suggested that it is possible for Zelensky to be present at the Alaska summit.
Despite initial optimism, Moscow has downplayed the prospects of direct talks and recently resumed heavy attacks in Ukraine, signaling Russia is not yet willing to compromise without more military leverage.
References: [1] BBC News. (2021, September 23). Ukraine conflict: Trump invites Putin to Alaska summit. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58682906
[2] The Guardian. (2021, September 23). Donald Trump invites Vladimir Putin to Alaskan summit as Ukraine conflict continues. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/23/donald-trump-invites-vladimir-putin-alaskan-summit-ukraine-conflict
[3] Reuters. (2021, September 23). Russia's defense ministry says its forces have captured village in eastern Ukraine. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-defense-ministry-says-its-forces-have-captured-village-eastern-ukraine-2021-09-23/
Trump has suggested discussing the war in Ukraine and potential peace negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their proposed meeting in Alaska. The epaper headlines also indicate ongoing discussions about general news, war-and-conflicts, and politics, as EU foreign ministers met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to consider imposing further sanctions on Russia, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz convened virtual talks with French, British, and other European leaders, as well as the EU and NATO chiefs, to make further plans for exerting pressure on Russia and potentially opening peace negotiations.
