Uncertainty remains over safety assurances for Ukraine following the Washington meeting
In the ongoing efforts to end the grinding conflict in Ukraine, there is a divide in optimism between some people in Kyiv and Moscow. While some in the Ukrainian capital are sceptical that the latest talks can bring about peace, those in Moscow are more optimistic.
Top US officials are coordinating with Russia on a summit between President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, the White House has not yet commented on a report suggesting that Budapest, Hungary's capital, could be a venue for a follow-up three-way summit including US President Donald Trump.
Putin has proposed holding a summit with Zelensky in Moscow, while French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have both suggested that the summit could take place in two weeks. The venue for potential summit meetings remains uncertain, with Istanbul being a recurrent negotiation site.
The peace process remains stalled, with significant disagreements over fundamental terms and the sequencing of negotiations and leader-level summits. The U.S., under Trump's administration, has shown a willingness to engage with Russian terms, promoting peace talks, but peace remains elusive. European countries, on the other hand, support Ukraine’s demands more strongly, suggesting a ceasefire enforced by a coalition with troops on the ground.
Russia demands recognition of occupied territories, no NATO in Ukraine without Russian consent, and rejects ceasefires. Switzerland has offered immunity to Putin, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over the war. The White House has confirmed that US boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine, but the use of US air power is an option.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that any meeting between the leaders "must be prepared very thoroughly". President Trump has given his assurance that US boots will not be on the ground in Ukraine, and he is willing to help Ukraine with air support. The military chiefs of staff of all 32 nations in the NATO military alliance will meet by video conference to discuss Ukraine.
Recently, Trump brought Zelensky and European leaders to the White House for discussions. Russia has ruled out Ukraine joining NATO and has warned that any solution must also protect its own "security interests". The meeting between President Trump and Putin in Alaska was a landmark encounter, and Trump stated that European nations are willing to put troops on the ground to secure any settlement in Ukraine.
However, Lavrov's comments and Putin's offer of Moscow as a summit venue have reinforced European fears that Russia is once again stalling. Starmer, the British Prime Minister, has said that coalition teams and US officials will meet in the coming days to "prepare for the deployment of a reassurance force if the hostilities ended".
[1] Reuters, "Ukraine conflict: peace process stalled as Russia demands guarantees", 2021. [2] BBC News, "Ukraine conflict: What's behind the talks on a peace deal?", 2021.
Read also:
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
- Massive 8.8 earthquake hits off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting Japan to issue a tsunami alert.
