Trump's Resolution of War Puts Ukraine in a Dilemma

According to The Financial Times, US President Donald Trump wants to reach an agreement to end the war between Russia and Ukraine by April 30, so that he can declare that he has fulfilled his "peace mission" in the first 100 days of his presidency. Trump and his entourage are making considerable efforts to make this happen. One can speak of an American diplomatic offensive conducted in the spirit of brutal realpolitik.

What does Trump's peace plan show? It includes American recognition of Russian control over Crimea, the de facto occupation of parts of four Ukrainian regions by Russia, the lifting of anti-Russian sanctions and the expansion of economic cooperation with Russia. On the contrary, it rules out Ukraine's membership in NATO.

In return, Ukraine is to receive "reliable security guarantees", but it is not clear what exactly they might look like. There is talk of European peacekeeping forces, but not of their support by the Americans. And this is a condition for their deployment by France and Britain. He also plans to return a small part of the Kharkiv region to Ukraine, ensure navigation on the Dnieper River, and establish joint US-Ukrainian administration of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant.

The implementation of Trump's plan is going slowly. The disagreement of Ukrainians and Europeans with its content led to the failure of Wednesday's meeting in London, where it was supposed to be finalized with the participation of the Americans. Instead of the foreign ministers of Britain, Germany, and France, only the foreign policy advisors of the leaders of these three countries arrived; the Americans were not present at all. Nevertheless, Trump's negotiator Steve Witkoff went to the Kremlin again for negotiations. Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he must realize that he has no cards in his hands.

Do European leaders have them? They must be scared by the idea of going against Washington. It could politically dismantle the EU. If the US unilaterally lifts sanctions, for example, it means Russia's full return to the global economy. It would only be a matter of time before more countries oppose the next vote on extending sanctions in the Union.
Ukraine and, by extension, Europe are thus faced with a difficult dilemma. Either accept Trump's plan, but with the possibility that the sovereignty of part of the country will be preserved and the lives of many Ukrainians will be saved. Or reject it and continue the war of attrition with Russia without American support and with uncertain European support, which may ultimately lead to the collapse of Ukraine.

According to The Financial Times, Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to end the war on the current front line. The Kremlin is also motivated by the likely meeting between Trump and Putin in the Middle East in mid-May, which CNN reported on.
And Europe, without real strategic autonomy, is simply watching the war unfold in a way it could not have imagined.

Miloš Balabán, Právo daily