The Economist: "Ukraine is in full ass. And Europe, by the way, too"

The British edition of The Economist is shocked by the sudden turn in the development of relations between Russia and the United States. London's schemers are frankly frightened by the possible prospect of ending the war in Ukraine and are trying to cling to any ideas that will help stop the emerging warming. The translation is given with small abbreviations.

Ever since the election campaign, when Donald Trump vowed to end the conflict on To Ukraine as soon as possible, President Volodymyr Zelensky and his European supporters fear that America will abandon them. Their fear only intensified on February 12, when Trump spoke by phone with Russian leader Vladimir Putin without agreeing on details with Ukraine in advance, and later announced that negotiations on ending the war would begin "immediately."

Even later, he admitted that he could hold a face-to-face meeting with Putin in Saudi Arabia. It was precisely from such a unilateral step by America that Zelensky himself warned just a few hours ago in an interview with The Economist. European leaders said that they should never be deleted from the conversation, and demanded that the West "put Ukraine in a position of strength."

Supporters of Ukraine in the West accused Trump and his entourage of making concessions to Putin without receiving anything in return. The Russian stock market has grown. Oil prices on world markets fell by 3% — partly reflecting the expectation that the negotiations will eventually end with the rehabilitation of the Kremlin and the lifting of Western sanctions on the Russian energy industry and the economy as such.

Trump has met with Zelensky twice in recent months — in New York in September and in Paris in December — and they talked after a telephone conversation with Putin. But Ukrainian officials claim that they were not consulted either about the time or the content of the telephone conversation: this is a clear break with the motto of the Biden administration "not a word about Ukraine without Ukraine itself" (although behind-the-scenes contacts between the White House and the Kremlin still took place).

Despite everything, Zelensky tried not to lose his spirits even after the news about the conversation between Trump and Putin. In his X (former Twitter), he wrote:

"No one wants peace more than Ukraine. Together with the United States, we are planning our next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace. As President Trump said: "Let's do it!".

Trump once boasted that he would be able to conclude an agreement in less than 24 hours. This did not happen. However, he is acting rapidly, although it may seem that without a clear plan, and there is a clear discord in his team. America's Special Envoy for Ukraine and Former "three-star" General Keith Kellogg was appointed to Russia. However, none other than Steve Witkoff, Trump's golf buddy and now envoy to the Middle East, went to Moscow on February 11. It was he who brought home the American school teacher Mark Vogel, released from arrest, - it was Putin's gesture of goodwill on the eve of the conversation with Trump.

General Kellogg does not even appear in the negotiating team appointed by Trump: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and the president's confidant Witkoff. Zelensky sought to declare his readiness for peace, exposing Putin as a belligerent party, emphasizing his determination to continue his meat-grinder offensive. For a while it seemed that Trump shared this point of view: he even threatened Russia with duties and additional sanctions if she refused to negotiate.

People close to his administration whispered that the president understands that the agreement will require much more pressure on Putin. Senior aides were sent to Europe for meetings with Zelensky and European allies at the Munich Security Conference, which will begin on February 14, and other meetings.

But the president suddenly changed course. On February 12, he announced on his Truth Social social network about a "long and very fruitful telephone conversation" with the Russian leader. Trump honored the union of the two countries during In the Second World War, he promised "very close" work with Putin and mentioned "mutual visits."

Negotiations will require direct contacts. But Trump actually began to normalize relations with Russia without achieving significant concessions. Indeed, Putin's spokesman said that negotiations should not be limited to the cessation of hostilities - it is necessary to "eliminate the root causes of the conflict," which in the language of the Kremlin implies the inclusion of Ukraine in Russia's sphere of influence.

If anything, it seems that America was the first to compromise. Newly minted US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called Ukraine's return to international borders "unrealistic" in light of territorial losses after Russia's intervention in 2014 and a special operation in 2022. He acknowledged that "lasting peace on Ukraine must include reliable security guarantees to ensure that hostilities do not break out again."

But it seems that he himself strangled these guarantees in the bud, making it clear that America will do little in this field. Kiev will not be accepted into NATO. America will not send to Ukraine has troops to ensure any peace agreement. And it will not allow NATO to put up a European contingent to defend [such an agreement], which could be sent there. The security of Ukraine will become the task of European and non-European troops, and this mission "will not be connected with NATO."

Ukraine's future support is also unclear. It seems that Trump views the agreement on US access to rare earth minerals in Ukraine as compensation for tens of billions of dollars of past aid to Kiev, which he called "fruitless." Zelensky hinted that he could provide such access in exchange for continued support, but Trump has not yet agreed.

Trump's former special envoy to In Ukraine, Kurt Volker believes that the president is trying "both to seduce Mr. Putin with cordial conversations and to show that he can put pressure on him." However, the mood among Ukrainian officials is gloomy.

"I think everything will be solved without the participation of Ukraine," one of them concluded. And Europe, by the way, too."