Kyiv, March 3: A deal to end the war between Ukraine and Russia “is still very, very far away,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that he expects to keep receiving American support despite his recent fraught relations with US President Donald Trump.
“I think our relationship (with the US) will continue, because it’s more than an occasional relationship,” Zelenskyy said late Sunday, referring to Washington’s support for the past three years of war.
“I believe that Ukraine has a strong enough partnership with the United States of America” to keep aid flowing, he said at a briefing in Ukrainian before leaving London.
Zelenskyy publicly was upbeat despite recent diplomatic upheaval between Western countries that have been helping Ukraine with military hardware and financial aid. The turn of events is unwelcome for Ukraine, whose understrength army is having a hard time keep bigger Russian forces at bay.
The Ukrainian leader was in London to attend UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s effort to rally his European counterparts around continuing – and likely much increased – support for Ukraine from the continent amid political uncertainty in the US, and Trump’s overtures toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Europe is suspicious of Trump’s motives and strategy. Friedrich Merz, Germany’s likely next leader after the recent election, said Monday that he didn’t think last Friday’s Oval Office blow-up was spontaneous.
He said that he had watched the scene repeatedly. “My assessment is that it wasn’t a spontaneous reaction to interventions by Zelenskyy, but apparently an induced escalation in this meeting in the Oval Office,” Merz said.
He said that he was “somewhat astonished by the mutual tone,” but there has been “a certain continuity to what we are seeing from Washington at the moment” in recent weeks.
“I would advocate for us preparing to have to do a great, great deal more for our own security in the coming years and decades,” he said.
Even so, Merz said that he wanted to keep the trans-Atlantic relationship alive.
“I would also advocate doing everything to keep the Americans in Europe,” he said.
Europe is at crossroads in history: Starmer
Starmer rallied his European counterparts Sunday to shore up their borders and throw their full weight behind Ukraine as he announced outlines of a plan to end Russia’s war.
“Every nation must contribute to that in the best way that it can, bringing different capabilities and support to the table, but all taking responsibility to act, all stepping up their own share of the burden,” he said.
Starmer’s exhortation to 18 fellow leaders that they need to do the heavy lifting for their own security comes two days after US backing of Ukraine appeared in jeopardy when President Trump lashed out at President Zelenskyy and said he wasn’t grateful enough for America’s support.
The meeting had been overshadowed by the extraordinary scolding that took place on live television at the White House.
Starmer used the opportunity as part of his broader effort to bridge the gap between Europe and the US and also salvage what had seemed like the start of a peace process before Friday’s spat.
Starmer said he had worked with France and Ukraine on a plan to end the war and that the group of leaders – mostly from Europe -–had agreed on four things.
The steps toward peace would: keep aid flowing to Kyiv and maintain economic pressure on Russia to strengthen Ukraine’s hand; make sure Ukraine is at the bargaining table and any peace deal must ensure its sovereignty and security; and continue to arm Ukraine to deter future invasion.
A coalition of the willing
Finally, Starmer said they would develop a “coalition of the willing” to defend Ukraine and guarantee the peace.
“Not every nation will feel able to contribute but that can’t mean that we sit back,” he said. “Instead, those willing will intensify planning now with real urgency. The UK is prepared to back this with boots on the ground and planes in the air, together with others.”
It is far from certain whether Putin will accept any such plan, which Starmer said would require strong US backing. He did not specify what that meant, though he told the BBC before the summit that there were “intense discussions” to get a security guarantee from the US. (AP)
