Whirlwind diplomacy: Ukraine almost stays at the starting point

Whirlwind diplomacy: Ukraine almost stays at the starting point

Many events have happened this week, but what has not occurred is also revealing. The first Direct conversations and Russia should have initiated a new era of diplomacy in order to solve the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. Instead, the context fed the brevity and the limited result of the conversations with further reasons to doubt Moscow's willingness to peace.

The results of the talks

The three results achieved-a prisoner exchange, Further discussions about the president and the intention of both sides, their vision one vision, their vision To formulate future ceasefire - first sound like progress.

stagnation in diplomacy

But prisoner exchanges take place regularly, Ukraine has already demanded an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the air, at sea and on land and offered direct discussions between President Wolodymyr Selenskyj and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Russia rejected these two proposals, but said on Friday that they were considering again.

crisis talks in Europe

in Kyiv, Ukraine, France, Germany, Great Britain and Poland demanded an unconditional ceasefire for a month and published a picture of the five heads of state, which was on the phone with President Trump. They praised their support for the ceasefire and at the same time referred to “massive sanctions” that France threatened if Russia rejects the claim.

six days later, on Friday, they released another picture of the same five men, who this time was gathered in the Albanian capital Tirana for a phone and spoke with potus. French President Emmanuel Macron said that it was "unacceptable" that Russia continues to ignore an armistice. British Prime Minister Keir Strander said Putin "had to pay the price for avoiding peace".

contradictory emotions in the White House

The symmetry of the demands and the pictures was remarkable. Trump showed impressive diplomatic acrobatics last week. Putin wiped aside the demands for an armistice and suggested direct conversations in Istanbul. Selenskyj said that he was ready to meet Putin there, and Trump offered himself to act as an intermediary. Putin rejected all suggestions to a lower meeting.

no planned. Trump duped the feeling of urgency by adding that he had never expected Putin to appear in Istanbul without his participation, and concluded that "nothing would happen" in Ukraine before he hits the Kremlin chief.

expectations of Trump

We do not know how the European leaders treated the Friday call, but they certainly had to remind Trump of his promises made. It is unclear whether this will move him. The White House has signaled a limited level of patience with Putin, and occasionally Trump indicates that this patience could soon be exhausted.

The Russian strategy

The White House benefits from the diplomatic chess trains of the Kremlin, which are carried out in small steps, but clearly lead to an emptiness of the promises. Russia does enough to let Trump believe that they are serious while they don't make up the ground. Russia is now reported to the transfer of territories from Ukraine that Russia has not conquered. There are enough vague and insurmountable hints of diplomacy that create the tempting impression of a deal without actually creating one.

criticism of US policy

A clear assessment of Trump's politics came on Friday from his former ambassador in Kiev, Bridget Brink, who had resigned last month. In an opinion contribution, she explained: "Unfortunately, politics has been to increase the pressure on the victim, Ukraine, instead of the aggressor, Russia since the beginning of the Trump administration ... For this reason, I was no longer able to implement the politics of the government in good faith and felt obliged to resign ... Peace at any price is no peace at all-it is a complaint. more war and suffering. ”

Whether Trump's flexible approach represents complacency. It remains to be seen. The US President has defused a week of growing tensions and pressure on Moscow by noting that no progress can be expected before meeting Putin. It remains to be seen how the almost unreachable summit between Trump, Selenskyj and Putin will end, but one thing is certain that the negotiations face new challenges.