Donald Trump, who had promised to end hostilities in Ukraine quickly during his election campaign, took office as US President on Monday. This move has strengthened the EU’s concerns that he may secretly negotiate a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, excluding Ukraine and the EU from the talks, according to a report by the Spanish newspaper El País, citing diplomatic sources.
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted the EU’s waning influence in the world compared to the US in his speech at the Davos forum, saying, “It’s not clear if Europe will even have a place at the table when the war against our country is over.”
A high-ranking EU official told the newspaper that there is a risk that Washington may prepare a deal unfavorable to Kiev, in which the EU would only provide financial aid for the massive post-war reconstruction and guarantee the deal’s implementation. The official noted that Brussels has limited leverage to influence Washington and strengthen its own position.
Trump’s criticism of Europe and European NATO members’ military spending has further heightened the concern that the EU’s interests will not be taken into account, El País wrote.
As the EU fears it may be the only guarantor of the future agreement, it may ensure its participation in the talks by deploying peacekeeping troops, the newspaper suggested. French President Emmanuel Macron has already expressed support for the deployment of peacekeeping troops, which was discussed with Trump and Zelenskyy in Paris in December. The British government has not ruled out the possibility of British military involvement.
Additionally, the question of the number of peacekeeping troops remains to be answered. Zelenskyy emphasized the need for at least 200,000 European peacekeepers to ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty after a possible ceasefire with Russia, calling it the “minimum, otherwise it’s senseless.”
During a meeting with his Moldovan counterpart on Saturday, Zelenskyy reiterated that the US, Ukraine, Russia and the EU should all participate in talks on a potential peace settlement. “It’s impossible to exclude Ukraine from a negotiating platform. Or this platform will not have real results” he said, urging his allies to find a suitable format for the talks.