Justin Lane / EPA
Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech at the UN
There are fears that the US will stop supporting Ukraine. Fears for Ukrainians and for the European Union, which does not want to be left with a “burden”.
Is freezing the best solution?
The possibility has been raised for some time. In March, Rolf Mützenich, a German deputy from the SPD (Olaf Scholz’s party) made this suggestion: freeze, stop the conflict, to later try to end the war once and for all.
But “freeze the war” was translated as “freeze current borders”: in other words, let Russia integrate even into its territory the areas of Ukraine that it occupied over the last few years.
He reminds us that this issue is particularly sensitive in Germany: dividing Ukraine now could be reminiscent of the division of Germany after World War II.
Russia e Ukraine have already shown themselves contra this idea.
Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the President of Ukraine, warned that freezing the war, in this context, would be giving victory to Russia and especially to Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said more recently that a freeze on the conflict in Ukraine would be unacceptable to the Russian government.
Also Ursula von der Leyen showed up contra. The president of the European Commission took advantage of the peace summit in June, warning that this would be a “recipe for future wars of aggression”.
Daniel Oliveira wrote that the war should be frozen soon, mainly because of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. And he pointed out: “I don’t know if the solution at the end of a longer war would be very different from this one.in truth”.
Scholz ea Europe
Despite the various voices against it, apparently Europe is even trying to convince Kiev that freezing the war is the best solutionbefore the USA – because of Trump – interrompam a help military to Ukraine.
The Ukrainian channel reinforces the idea: the main European capitals fear that, immediately after taking office in January, the future US president will completely stop the supply of weapons to Ukraine – until Zelenskyy agrees to negotiate with Russia.
Olaf Scholz went to Kiev this Monday. Without warning. The German Chancellor will have been a kind of spokesman for the European Union in the capital of Ukraine.
The German media admit, on the other hand, that Scholz is using the war and possible negotiations to obtain more votes, in a pre-election that has already started in Germany, for the early elections in February.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, has said several times that some politicians use the issue of war and negotiations for their own political purposes.
TSN adds that many statements by Western officials and publications in Western media give the clear idea: Ukraine and Russia will start negotiating in 2025; this issue is almost resolved.
An example of this are the recent words of the new NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte: “It is necessary to strengthen Ukraine militarily before potential negotiations with Russia”.
His predecessor, Jens Stoltenberg, recently said that temporary territorial concessions by Ukraine could help achieve a quick ceasefire.
The other side of fears
As already said, what Donald Trump will do when he replaces Joe Biden is essential for Ukraine.
But it is also essential for the European Union. Why? You Europeans do not want the European Union (not the USA) be the main protagonist of the “burden” of support military and financial support to Ukraine.
That’s why, try to convince Ukrainians that the best thing is to end the battles – at least – temporarily.
Even though negotiating with Russia is synonymous with loss of territory by Ukraine.
The European Union does not want to increase investments in its defense industry.
And are “afraid” to honestly admit that wasted these almost three years of war on a large scale – is that Russia alone produces 10 times more weapons and ammunition.
Until Zelenskyy, last Sunday, that the Ukrainian army is no longer able to recover some of the territories occupied by the Russians; and that it is best to look for diplomatic solutions.
But, he repeated, Ukraine needs to join NATO before that. And it won’t be.
The problem is that, from Kiev, the Foreign Minister warned, alternative formats for NATO membership are not accepted in advance.
