Russia’s war in Ukraine: Many obstacles to peace remain

The second oval office meeting of six months between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Voldy Mir Zelensky, in contrast to them, smoothly missed on Monday. A tragic encounter February.

European leaders joined the debate on the Transatlantic Unity Show, and both them and Zelenskyyy I’ve repeatedly thanked Trump To end his efforts Russia’s three-year war in Ukraine.

“I don’t want to hide the fact that I wasn’t sure it would go like this,” German Prime Minister Friedrich Merz told Washington. “But my expectations were not only met, they exceeded them.”

Zelenskyy said Tuesday: “We have taken an important step to end this war and ensure the safety of Ukraine and all of Europe.”

However, despite the optimism and friendly jokes protected among leaders, there was little concrete progress in the main obstacles. End the war – And the deadlock is likely to like Russian President Vladimir Putin if Ukraine’s slow progression on the ground is slow.

“President Putin cannot afford to drink enough champagne or alcohol,” Gabrielius Landsberghis, former Lithuanian foreign minister, said of the meeting on Monday.

As NATO executive director Mark Latte told Ingraham Angle on Fox News, “We need to put all the details out.”

Let’s look at the problems that need to be solved.

Ukraine’s security guarantee

To agree to a peace agreement with Russia, Ukraine wants guarantees that it can stop future attacks by the Kremlin forces.

That is, Zelensky said, the powerful Ukrainian army that provides weapons and training from its Western partners.

It could also mean providing warranty to Ukraine It’s similar to NATO’s collective defense obligationsviews an attack on one member of the Alliance as an attack on everyone. It’s not clear how it works.

What’s more, Kiev’s European allies are Looking for a power setup It was able to support the peace agreement in Ukraine.

a Alliance of 30 countriesWe have signed up to support the initiative, including European countries, Japan and Australia, but the role the US may play in such forces is unknown.

Fearing that Moscow’s territorial ambitions will not cease in Ukraine, European leaders are keen to lock American military forces into plans.

Trump said he would help him provide protection, but he stopped committing the US military to efforts and instead promised us a “adjustment.”

Russia repeatedly rejected the idea of such power, saying it would not accept Ukrainian NATO forces.

British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron co-chaired the Allied online meeting on Tuesday.

He said that if officials discuss the proposal in more detail, there will be a virtual meeting with Trump and European leaders.

I agree to a ceasefire

Supporters of Ukraine and its European countries have repeatedly called for a ceasefire while peace talks took place.

Putin balked at the outlook. As his army is advancing in Ukraine, he has little incentive to freeze their movements.

Trump ahead of last week’s meeting with Russian leaders Blackmailed Russia If you fail to accept a ceasefire, there will be “severe consequences.” He then said it would be best to lower that demand and focus on a comprehensive peace deal, as Putin is pushing for.

Trump said in his oval office with Zelensky on Monday that a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine was “necessary.” But after a closed meeting with European leaders and Zelenkie, Trump told reporters.

The reason why Trump ultimately falls into that problem is that Russia could affect how much Ukrainian land has been seized, and could affect how much they can maintain.

Occupying territory of Ukraine

Zelensky and European leaders said Putin had requested that Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow’s troops also hold Crimea and parts of six other regions. One-fifth of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy has long pointed out that the Ukrainian constitution has banned him from destroying his country. He also suggests that territorial demand will serve as a springboard for future invasions.

Latte said the possibility of transferring occupied territory by Russia in exchange for peace was not discussed in Monday’s talks. This is a matter of Zelensky and Putin considering together, he told Fox News.

Putin Zelensky Conference

Zelenskyy repeatedly suggested sitting with Putin, Even challenged Russian leaders to meet him As part of a direct peace negotiation between the two sides of Türkiye in May. Putin sniffed the offer and said that major advances in the contract must be made before the pair meet in person.

On Monday, Trump appeared to support Zelensky’s plans. “I called Putin and started arranging meetings between Putin and Zelensky where it was decided,” Trump said in a social media post.

He said he would join the two leaders afterwards.

However, when discussing the phone call that took place after the meeting between Trump and Russian leaders, Putin’s foreign advisor Yuri Ushakov gave no indication that either a bilateral or trilateral meeting with Ukraine had been agreed.

European leaders know that President Putin doesn’t want to meet Zelensky and that he won’t allow the western Ukrainian forces, but they have expressed optimism that these things could happen in the hopes of Putin wanting to force Trump to say no, according to German Janice Cluge for International and Security Affairs.

“Europeans hope that Putin will create a disappointing reality,” he wrote to X.

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Brussels Associated Press writer Sam McNeil and London’s Emma Burrows contributed.

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Follow the AP’s report on the war in Ukraine https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine