The Guardian’s view on Ukraine peace talks: Europe must ensure Zelensky can resist Trump’s bullying | Editorial

IThis was not the debacle of February, when Volodymyr Zelensky was publicly humiliated in the Oval Office by Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. But the latest for the Ukrainian president Visit Obama’s visit to the White House on Friday was a disturbing experience by all standards. Mr. Trump’s audience Reflections Before the meeting he indicated that his position had become tougher towards Vladimir Putin, so much so strategically that he was willing to sell long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kiev. But by the time Zelensky arrived in Washington, the US president had changed his mind and instead lectured his guest on the necessity of making territorial concessions to Russia.

So far, so familiar. Since his re-election, Trump has repeatedly refrained from following up tough talk on Russia with meaningful action. Putin’s false deadlines for taking substantive steps toward peace have expired, and the Kremlin has treated them with indifference. Last week, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. male Washington is prepared to “impose costs” if Russia continues the conflict. But a two-hour phone call at Putin’s request was enough to defuse that threat, and for Trump to once again position himself as a neutral arbitrator between two warring parties.

The return of this malicious and unethical framing signals a moment of diplomatic danger for Mr. Zelensky. In language more appropriate to describe a disputed real estate deal than an illegal invasion that cost hundreds of thousands of lives, Trump told Fox News that Putin “is going to take something… He won certain property.” It should be planned interview In Budapest between the US and Russian presidents – who will be hosted by pro-Putin Hungarian leader Viktor Orban – discussion of possible partition will dominate the agenda, as happened in the failed confrontation in Alaska.

This possibility should focus minds ahead of the EU leaders’ summit later this week in Brussels. Following the signing of the peace agreement in Gaza – for which Putin was keen to offer full congratulations – Trump took a similar position. a description Himself as the “mediator”. In a darkly paradoxical way, there is every possibility that he will try to force Zelensky into an unacceptable deal that rewards Russian aggression, in order to burnish his supposed credentials as the supreme peacemaker.

It is crucial that Europe provides Ukraine with the resources and staying power that will allow it to resist such pressures. Progress is reportedly being made on proposals backed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which would use frozen Russian assets to secure a £122bn interest-free loan to Kiev. Such funds, whatever their source, will be essential to supporting Ukraine’s defense efforts in the coming year. And on a more symbolic level, there too Signs There has been a new determination to find ways to circumvent Orban’s opposition to support Ukraine’s bid for European Union membership.

As Trump continues on his erratic path, guided only by vanity, mercantilism, and an admiration for brute force, EU leaders will have to be creative and resolute in ensuring that Ukraine’s interests are adequately defended in the weeks and months ahead. Putin is playing the role of President of the United States once again, exploiting the absence of a moral compass in Washington. More than ever, a strong counterweight is needed on the other side of the Atlantic.