Trump calls Putin: negotiations imminent?
US President Trump talked on the phone with Russian leader Putin on Wednesday. According to Trump the two agreed that peace talks to end the war in Ukraine would be resumed 'immediately'. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has confirmed Moscow's willingness to negotiate. Trump then also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Europe's press sees Kyiv and Europe being relegated to the sidelines.
Geopolitically risky
If what has been leaked about Trump's purported solution is true, it would constitute a major break with the West's policy to date, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:
“According to the plan there will be no 'victory' for Ukraine. If Moscow agreed to a ceasefire on these terms, it would undoubtedly come as a great relief for the people of Ukraine and the soldiers on both sides. Geopolitically, however, it would probably mark the beginning of a new phase of insecurity in Europe, because Russia would be able to regroup and adjust to the idea that a Nato which has been for the most part downsized to Europe won't be as formidable an opponent as it has been in the past.”
International law could be trampled underfoot
Kalev Stoicescu, Chairman of the Defence Committee in the Estonian Parliament, laments the developments in Eesti Päevaleht:
“Nobody talks about Putin's responsibility anymore. It is not considered necessary to impose preconditions on Russia for the negotiations, let alone hold Russia accountable for its aggression and war crimes. Fulfilling Russia's terms would be to brutally trample on international law and the rights of free states and peoples. ... The game could still change, but Russia has every reason to be optimistic right now.”
Please consider cooperation
Europe should give serious thought to Trump's ideas, La Repubblica counsels:
“The most delicate part would be the division of Ukraine into two regions separated by a ceasefire line, as happened in Korea along the 38th parallel in 1953. Not least because the new border could be over 1,000 kilometres long and monitoring it would require large military contingents that could be provided by Europe and Turkey. And by Italy. Hence, Europe must start cooperating with the new US president, unlike in the past. ... Yes, Trump represents a sharp break with the past, but it remains in Europe's interest to strengthen the Atlantic alliance, and that means accepting the challenge of jointly pursuing an 'unconventional' approach to resolve conflicts for which there has been no solution so far.”
Territory for Russia, rare earths for the US
Putin and Trump are all too similar in their approach, laments Avvenire:
“They will talk of negotiations, of peace, of new deals. But behind all this - barely disguised - is the booty they already see beckoning: new territory for the holy mother Russia (Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol), rare earths - the jewels of future technology including lithium, beryllium, lanthanum, cerium, neodymium and hydrocarbons - for Washington: 500 billion in return, enough to balance the books and reap the rewards of the 174 billion dollars that America has spent so far to support Kyiv. Quid pro quo, according to Trump's mercantilist logic. Quid pro quo, according to Putin's neo-imperialism.”
Worried from Brussels to Beijing
In a Telegram post picked up by Echo, journalist Dmitry Kolezev suspects that most global players won't be happy with Trumpian peace deal:
“Trump will hardly fulfil all of Putin's wishes, nor can the position of Ukraine and the EU states be disregarded. What is worrying for Europeans is that Washington is calling in plain terms for Nato to be 'reformatted' and saying it won't spend any more funds on European security. This is in line with Vladimir Putin's presumed dream of Russia getting the go-ahead from the US to operate in its 'sphere of influence', which could include the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. It will be interesting to see how the Chinese card comes into play. The sudden rapprochement between Moscow and Washington will hardly please Beijing.”
Farewell Ukraine partnership
A bitter reality emerged on 12 February 2025, Le Temps comments:
“Will Ukraine be invited to the peace talks? ... 'Interesting question', Donald Trump commented, as if he had never even considered it. He also called on the Ukrainian president to hold elections, a classic Russian propaganda ploy. Vladimir Putin is, after all, the most elected dictator on the planet. There is no need to wonder how ignorant and cynical Trump can be. On the evening of 12 February 2025, we must face this disturbing reality: Ukraine and its European allies can no longer count on the United States.”
The consequence of European failures
Europe shouldn't complain now that Trump is taking control, writes The Daily Telegraph:
“There is no doubt that some capitals will view with outrage the prospect of their continent's future being decided without their direct involvement. ... Those leaders who failed to step up defence spending despite repeated warnings can hardly object now. The lesson that Europe must take responsibility for its own defence should have been learned when Barack Obama failed to uphold his red lines in Syria. ... That it was not speaks more to Europe's repeated failures than to any particular perfidy on the part of Washington.”