By Janet Ekstract, NEW YORK – On the heels of talks at the White House on Monday, August 18, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, there’s much speculation in the media and among political analysts about what, if any type of agreement will be made on the Russia-Ukraine war. Zelensky will be accompanied by a number of European leaders, President of the European Union Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Some EU leaders who have agreed to join Zelensky in Washington, are those of Germany, France, Britain and Italy, so far. The meeting on Monday comes after U.S. President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska for brief talks that ended, without mentioning any decisions about peace between Ukraine and Russia. According to media reports, Trump seemed to agree with Putin, in calling for a direct peace agreement without securing a ceasefire in Ukraine first, while Zelensky and his European counterparts agreed previously on no peace agreement until a viable ceasefire is in place. Experts and observers have noted that EU leaders are keen to solidify their position alongside Zelensky that demonstrates rock-solid support for the Ukrainian leader while making certain that President Trump is aware of what’s at stake for Europe in the future.
Meanwhile, it’s not really clear whether it’s even possible to achieve any type of viable agreement – largely because, as multiple analysts and experts on the region have pointed out, the Russian president has been quite consistent in not keeping his word. Putin’s suggestion of a direct ‘peace agreement’ without a ceasefire appears to be unrealistic at best and as some analysts have put it, a “stall tactic” to avoid further sanctions. Sources have said that Putin is demanding control of the entire Donetsk region which Zelensky has rejected. On August 15, after he met with Putin, Trump told reporters that Ukraine should make a deal on ending the war with Russia, using the reasoning that “Russia is a very big power and they’re not.” Putin’s offer was to freeze most front lines if Kyiv cedes all of Donetsk which is an industrial region that Putin has wanted to control, for quite some time. The problem is that neither Zelensky nor any Western leaders, actually trust Putin to keep his word, as he so clearly demonstrated prior to his invasion of Ukraine when he categorically denied his country would attack Ukraine as masses of Russian troops and tanks surrounded the Ukrainian border.
This begs the question of how exactly President Trump expects to ‘get a deal’ that actually might stick – especially when Putin still insists that Ukraine not join NATO and that it lay down its weapons. Disarming Ukraine, as any analyst will tell you, is clearly self-defeating for Ukraine and a direct invitation to Putin, to take over all of it.
If Russia will not disarm, why should Ukraine?
European leaders have vowed to tighten sanctions on Russia and though Trump has verbally threatened sanctions, he has yet to implement them. Currently, Russia controls a fifth of Ukraine, including close to three-quarters of Donetsk province. Initially, Trump told the media that he wouldn’t be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed to but has pivoted to Putin’s suggestion on a potential peace agreement. On Sunday, August 17, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: “BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED.” As observers have often pointed out, Trump’s tendency to get excited too soon, may end up a recipe for disappointment.
