War in Ukraine: can the talks produce results?
Discussions about the future of Ukraine continue on several levels. The 28-point plan presented by the US president has been amended in negotiations with Ukraine and European states. However leading figures in Moscow described the proposals from Europe as "completely unconstructive" on Monday. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have also had a phone conversation on the issue. Europe's press examines the interests at play.
Putin won't sign a deal with Zelensky
The Kremlin boss will keep finding reasons to oppose a deal, fears the Tages-Anzeiger:
“The 28-point plan has once again made clear how confident about his own cause Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin is. Where is the pressure needed to finally get Putin on board? Paradoxically, he could ultimately cause an agreement to fail precisely because Zelensky signs it. Putin has denied Zelensky's legitimacy as leader of Ukraine and only allowed him to participate in negotiations as an advisor. And he refuses to sign an agreement bearing Zelensky's signature as president.”
Kremlin's power would crumble in peacetime
The New Times advocates a long-term perspective:
“If the West is to expect success in building a peaceful world, the Russians must be separated from Putin, and Russian society from the state. ... But undoubtedly, the dying must stop first. The hardening and brutalisation must gradually come to an end. This is not good from Putin's perspective. And that is why any efforts directed at coordinating a peace plan make sense. The Kremlin will consider this a victory. But a state of peace will already undermine Putin's system, which is based on the industrial generation of chaos and crises.”
Washington will blame Europe
Dagens Nyheter finds it difficult to believe in a peaceful outcome:
“Putin is not interested in a sovereign Ukraine. Ukrainians have no intention of living on their knees. Rubio may be able to help Kyiv and the rest of Europe buy some time. But we must be clear that it is probably only a matter of time before Donald Trump blames us for all the failed 'peace efforts' and pulls out.”
Trump wants to defuse the situation on the home front
For Maszol, Trump's peace efforts are driven more by domestic motives:
“Trump needs a spectacular and rapid international success, because things are getting worse and worse at home. The Maga camp is increasingly outraged and divided, Trump's popularity has hit rock bottom, and if he doesn't do something quickly it will sink even lower. He needs to make a big move fast. At the moment he has two options: attack Venezuela or dictate peace in Ukraine. If he attacks Venezuela, the Maga base will become even angrier. ... Instead of a highly unpopular war the president says he would rather have peace in Ukraine.”
Beijing will have its say too
Monday's phone call between the presidents of China and the US is a sign that Ukraine is increasingly becoming a pawn in a bigger game, La Stampa notes:
“The new draft agreements between Washington and Kyiv, Moscow's reactions and above all the phone call between Xi and Trump show that the conflict is now part of the global competition to define power relations and spheres of influence. The phone call was not just a formal gesture but a crucial strategic move aimed at signalling intentions and red lines at a potentially critical moment in the war in Ukraine. ... The phone call also suggests a broader message: world power is increasingly concentrated on the United States, China and Russia.”
Between a rock and a hard place
Ukraine is now faced with a choice between two bad options, writes the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung:
“Either it gives in to Trump's blatant blackmail, which has weakened Kyiv's negotiating position vis-à-vis Moscow with crazy concessions and demands, or it is left in an even worse military and political situation in which Trump withdraws the last vestiges of support from an 'ungrateful' Ukraine. Faced with a choice between a rock and a hard place, Kyiv has decided to kowtow to Trump, which is also what the Europeans advise, as they themselves are dependent on US support in their confrontation with Putin.”