Europe’s show of unity at the White House is a plus for Ukraine, but peace is still a distant dream | Andrey Kurkov
IIt was night in Ukraine when President Trump met President Putin in Alaska – a night during which Russia only bombed the front -line Ukrainian cities. The people of Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro and even Kharkiv could sleep, but they did not do it. They were waiting for news from Alaska. I was also awake and looked at the news feed, aware that this meeting would lead to anything, or even worse, something bad for Ukraine. But in difficult and hopeless situations, human nature is subject to desperate optimism. In the Middle Ages, people often hoped for a miracle, forgetting the logic of events. Thus, the night of August 15 was a night of hope for a miracle, which, of course, did not happen.
Unlike the day before the Alaska meeting in Ukraine, there was no particular tension in the accumulation of the meeting of European leaders in the White House on Monday, despite the images of an extremely powerful team in Washington. The Ukrainians seemed to feel that this meeting had to be visually positive in order to push in the shadow of the Alaska meeting, which ended with nothing, if not a failure.
The meeting has demonstrated, to an equal extent, the continuation of the support of Europe to Ukraine and to the concerns of Europe concerning the unpredictable position of President Trump, for whom the objective is simply the end of the war, rather than reaching an equitable peace.
A good peace, that is to say the release of the territories seized by Russia and the restoration of Ukraine within its constitutional geographic borders, becomes more and more a dream that only Ukrainians have the right to cherish. Our partners have calmed down on this obvious prerequisite for fair peace, although they do not openly speak of the opposite – of the “need” to yield to the “inevitable” loss of a large part of Ukrainian territory.
While the meeting in Alaska was welcomed with hundreds of ironic comments on social networks, the Ukrainians took the White House meeting much more seriously. They do not overestimate the results, but they are quietly satisfied to see President Trump look gay in such a pro-Ukrainian company.
A bilateral meeting between President Zelenskyy and Putin is considered improbable and the Ukrainians are sure that Putin will do everything possible to avoid one. Putin repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of Zelenskyy as president and meeting the Ukrainian chief would fly in front of this position. But, if we try to imagine how a bilateral meeting could take place, logically an easy question should be dealt with first – a minor question on which agreement could be obtained, paving the way for more difficult subjects.
But today, between Ukraine and Russia, there are no easy problems. The exchange of prisoners of war and the return of Ukrainian children and civilians from Russia to Ukraine have long been sent with a certain success by a separate team of employees. All other discussion points are extremely difficult; For example, a mutual cease-fire or a mutual cessation of bombing with missiles and drones, or the status of captured territories and territories that Russia still plans to capture.
The format of such a harm is therefore much more likely to be two short monologues, but certainly not a dialogue. A meeting of three people with President Trump as a moderator could be more productive, but Trump will surely accept that if it is convinced that at least something will be done. Otherwise, once again, as after the Alaska meeting, its reputation will take a hit.
For most Ukrainians, the very fact of a joint visit to Washington by President Zelenskyy and the leaders of the European Union and Great Britain is more important than the announcement after the meeting on the agreement on the purchase of American weapons by Europe for Ukraine, which has long been considered a transaction concluded.
The most interesting aspect of Reunion – the content of the telephone conversation between Trump and Putin after involvement with Zelenskyy – remains unknown, but press reports pointing to Hungary as a potential meeting place are disturbing. Putin’s visit to Alaska was presented by the Russian media as a victory – an escape from the strong man of Russia against world isolation. A meeting on the EU soil will be presented as the final victory of Russia in its struggle to ensure that the civilized world recognizes its right to violate any international right without bringing the slightest responsible for violating the rights of other states to a peaceful life within their geographic borders.
When the White House talks ended, Russian drones and missiles attacked energy infrastructure facilities in the Poltava region. Dozens of explosions have mowed in the cities of Kremenchuk and Lubny. It was unlikely that residents were interested in the results of the White House meeting the next morning.
