Trump issues warning of significant repercussions if Putin fails to halt the conflict following their meeting
In a significant development, President Donald Trump is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, with the war in Ukraine high on the agenda. According to reports, Trump has assured European leaders that he will prioritise trying to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine when he speaks with Putin.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who convened a virtual meeting of several European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stressed the importance of a ceasefire at the outset of negotiations. Merz emphasised that Ukraine must be involved in any follow-up meetings, fearing that excluding Kyiv could result in discussions favouring Moscow.
Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine's stance, asserting that the country would not give up any territory it currently controls. He argued that such a move would be unconstitutional and serve only as a precursor for a future Russian invasion. Zelenskyy also claimed that Putin is bluffing ahead of the planned summit about Russia's ability to occupy all of Ukraine and shake off sanctions.
The European allies and Ukraine are wary that Putin might secure favourable concessions and outline a peace deal without them. Military analysts monitoring the battles have noted that Ukraine's ability to fend off advances in key territories, such as Pokrovsk in the eastern Donbas region, could be critical. Losing Pokrovsk would hand Russia an important victory ahead of the summit and could complicate Ukrainian supply lines to the Donetsk region.
Trump has expressed a willingness to consider land swaps as part of a peace deal, although it remains unclear what Putin might be expected to surrender. The President has warned that there will be "very severe consequences" if Putin does not agree to stop the war, but he has declined to specify whether these would include sanctions or tariffs.
Diplomatic discussions led by the U.S. have not addressed key Ukrainian demands, including security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression and ensuring that Europe is included in negotiations. Three weeks after Trump returned to office, his administration took the leverage of Ukraine's NATO membership off the table, signalling that the EU and Ukraine must handle security in Europe while America focuses its attention elsewhere.
The overarching fear of many European countries is that Putin will set his sights on one of them next if he wins in Ukraine. This virtual meeting was an attempt by Merz to ensure that European and Ukrainian leaders are heard ahead of the summit. As the world watches, the stakes are high, and the outcome of this meeting could have far-reaching implications for global peace and security.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-eu-ukraine-trump-putin-summit-2021-03-17/ [2] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/17/world/europe/trump-putin-ukraine-summit.html [4] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56434957
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