Igor Gielow
SAO PAULO, SP (FOLHAPRESS)-The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, charged on Saturday (15) his western allies to give a clear position on the security guarantees they are willing to give, in the form of a peace force if a ceasefire with Russia is achieved.
He charged at a news conference after a meeting of 25 countries led by British Prime Minister Keir Stmermer, in which the conflict scenario started by Vladimir Putin was discussed three years ago.
The Ukrainian apparently realized the tone of ancient film: Pompous speeches about European responsibilities, but in the end everything will be resolved by the will or not of the United States. Zelenski participated in the video conferencing.
“Peace will be more reliable with European contingents on the ground and the American side as insurance,” the president said, repeating the tone of the discussions in recent weeks more.
In them, he suffered a hard “bullying” of US President Donald Trump, who aligned with Putin’s vision about the origins of war and discourse of Kiev’s inevitability of losses to have peace. In the interview, he admitted that he does not know “what the Russians and the Americans talk.”
Zelenski, without military conditions of sustaining his resistance alone, assured and submitted to Trump’s desire. From this came a meeting between American and Ukrainian delegations in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), where Kiev accepted a 30-day ceasefire.
The US then passed, in Trump’s words, the ball to Putin, which returned it on Thursday (13), when he said he accepts the truce if it is not temporary and if they are already aligned the themes to be discussed for a definitive negotiation.
In short, he wants peace in his terms, which include Ukrainian demilitarization, Kiev’s neutrality and the definitive acquisition of the 20% that controls the country, 7% of them since 2014, when he attached to Crimea.
Obviously, it is a negotiation tactic, maximizing the demands. But Kremlin made it clear several times that he does not accept the idea of a European peace force in the neighbor, as this would put NATO troops, the US -led military alliance in Ukraine.
Putin’s main reason to invade his neighbor was Kiev’s intention to join NATO, which would put him under the umbrella of the protection of Article 5 of the Alliance: that all members have to defend one who is attacked. Since there are nuclear weapons at stake, this takes Putin of aggression.
He gave what he gave, and Kremlin doesn’t seem willing to give up it. Trump supported the idea of a peace force, as he wants to see Europe turning alone on security issues, but it was not emphatic. Now Zelenski recalls that allies outside the US needs to position themselves.
Stmerer said the “coalition of the willingness” helps Kiev is being formed to ensure peace in Ukraine “on land, sea and air” in case of ceasefire. He himself, alongside the Frenchman Emmanuel Macron, has already said he supports a force. But it was not clear how this would be done, calling another meeting next week.
For now, everything is as it is. Putin suggested that Zelenski wants the 30 days just to breathe his strength, and the Ukrainian said the Russian is only curling Trump to follow the fighting. Skepticism in Moscow with Trump’s initiative is also on the rise.
Early on Saturday, Zelenski tried to paint a less dramatic view of the military pressure situation that even members of their forces admit. In X, he said his soldiers are not surrounded by what was left under his control in Kursk, southern Russia, despite the anecdotal evidence and satellite images.
He said that they “fulfilled their mission” and that the action continues, but in fact the forces withdrew. Trump even wrote on Friday (14) that the siege was complete and urged Putin to save the life of the Ukrainians. The Russian cut the raised ball, saying it would be magnanimous with what he called terrorists if they surrendered.
The fact is that Kursk is now passed to Zelenski. Defenders of the surprising operation, which began last August, point out that Russia had a new front to worry and the positive impact on Kiev’s morale.
His critics remember that Zelenski leaves nothing to bargain at the negotiating table and has lost large quantities to such purpose. Even the diversion of Russian resources only actually occurred this year, with the advance on other fronts following.
In the early hours of Saturday, the rivals exchanged an intense drone saraiva. There were at least 130 released by the Russians and 126, by the Ukrainians, with various damages reported.
