Determined to demonstrate their continued solidarity with Ukraine, the leaders of Europe’s “coalition of the willing”, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland, on Saturday met Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv and demanded that president Putin accept a 30-day ceasefire as a precursor to peace talks. The alternative, they warned, was a new set of sanctions against Russian banking and energy. And their call was, initially at least, endorsed by president Trump, who even expressed doubts about Russia’s sincerity in supporting a ceasefire.
His special envoy, Keith Kellogg, reposted a declaration by president Macron and insisted: “As president Trump has repeatedly said, stop the killing!! An unconditional 30-day ceasefire first and, during it, move into comprehensive peace discussions. Not the other way around.”
Trump was not on-message. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote that Putin instead wanted direct talks to be hosted by Turkey. “Ukraine,” he ordered, “should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY.”
Moscow has made it clear that any talks, and any agreement to ending military action, will not be about the modalities of a temporary ceasefire but about the “initial reasons” for the conflict. Its preconditions remain its maximalist position: a bar on Ukraine’s Nato membership and recognition of the annexation of four south-eastern regions including Crimea, as well as an end to western military support for Kyiv. It would also involve Ukraine pledging neutrality, accepting caps on its military, and acceding to demands to protect the Russian language in the country.
Zelenskiy, only too well aware of the need to placate Trump, is willing to turn up in Turkey on Thursday to call Putin’s bluff. But months of talks between Washington and Moscow have yielded no results and Moscow’s good faith in its counter to the call for a 30-day ceasefire, accepting the mediating offices of Turkey, will be quickly tested.
Talks notwithstanding, European leaders must follow up on their promise to escalate sanctions. Russia only understands pressure, something it won’t get from an all-too-friendly Trump.
