In Gaza, and now Ukraine, Donald Trump may be peace activists’ greatest ally. This deserves our support Simon Jenkins
DDonald Trump is sane and he is right. After basking in the glory of the ceasefire in Gaza, on Friday evening he was heading to Florida with his accompanying delegation of journalists. The drums of war beat across Europe, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked him to obtain Tomahawk missiles. What was his response?
Trump is clearly fed up. He told Zelensky: Go make a deal. He had said: “They must stop the war immediately. Go to the battle line wherever it is… and both sides must go home. Go to their families, stop the killing, and it should be so.” Issue closed. Tomahawk missiles will only mean escalation and more killing. Get a deal.
Considering that just last month, Trump proposed Ukraine It can regain all of its territory Occupied by Russia, his whims must be taken into account. Anything can mean something. But modern diplomacy is rarely about ideology or consistency. It’s about vanity and show. It means seizing each moment as it comes and seeing what happens.
Trump clearly seized the moment to convince Benjamin Netanyahu to stop killing Palestinians. Thus, he opened a door to peace that had been closed. Even those suffering from Trump derangement syndrome had to agree. Motivation is not the problem if the outcome is correct.
The West’s treatment of Ukraine has lost its way in the dusty corridors of NATO, the European Union and the United Nations. Their leaders have long since retracted their well-wishes for Zelensky. They give him enough help to keep fighting but not winning. They feel comfortable telling the world how terrible Vladimir Putin is, and telling Zelensky to toughen up.
Hawks will now respond that a ceasefire along the current front line will not “solve” anything. This will only lead to a repeat of the 2015 ceasefire and cede more territory to Russia. This would reward any assault on international law and fail the thousands of Ukrainians who died for their country, not to mention the millions of Westerners who paid a heavy price in their energy bills. A torn Ukraine is more honorable than an dishonorable peace. What’s wrong anyway with a few Tomahawks falling on Moscow?
Both Gaza and Ukraine were regional conflicts from which the West could theoretically remain aloof. History will judge whether the nature and level of engagement actually served the cause of a solution or lasting peace. In the case of Ukraine, the US and NATO have at least reacted realistically and cautiously. Joe Biden He placed strict limits on military aid To reduce the risk of escalation. Trump has wisely stuck to that line.
Now he says he wants to end the conflict. We assume that in his conversation with Putin last week he agreed not to give Zelensky a tomahawk. We wait to see what Putin will agree to in return, so that Trump can have another glorious Gaza-style celebration. If this is the price of ending this war, it will be cheap. But Putin is not Netanyahu, and Trump lacks influence over him. He’s taking risks.
The United States’ record in addressing the problems facing the world has been dismal over the past three decades. Trump has long opposed engagements and protests abroad, as they are not America’s job. He is reluctant to send troops into harm’s way and never claims for the United States a divine mission to save the world for freedom. But if he wants another global cheer, he must hold Putin’s feet to the fire. The fact that this will be difficult is no argument against trying.
Neorealism dictates that in such situations we do not stand in celebration and pronounce abstract nouns. We deal with the world as it is, not as we wish it to be. Trump must now formulate a guarantee of security along the current confrontation line between Ukraine and Russia that could satisfy both Putin and Zelensky. He must do the same in Gaza to satisfy Israel and Palestine. Since he refuses to commit American forces to either adventure, his powers of persuasion must be extraordinary if his reputation is to be secured.
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Trump has come this far without using the diplomatic apparatus of NATO or his other allies. He is right that the Allies have so far failed to fulfill their obligations. He worked through a ragtag group of courtiers eager to do his bidding and with nothing to lose. Their only virtue so far has been progress.
Trump’s clear intention is to end two bitter wars through personal charisma. He relies on his influence over other selfish leaders who stand in his way. Ukraine is at a dead end. Trump simply calls for an end to the fighting, an end to the killing, and for the soldiers to return to their homes and families. We can call it arrogance and selfishness, but so what? It is a plea for peace from the world’s most powerful leader. We should wish Trump success in his efforts, and congratulate him if he succeeds.