If Donald Trump abandons Ukraine, UK and Europe must step into the breach
Keir Starmer says Donald Trump wants a ‘just and lasting peace’ for Ukraine but there are alarming reports about the contents of a supposed US peace deal
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky – the Winston Churchill of the modern era, leading the defence of democracy against an evil, warmongering tyrant – Ukraine is facing “one of the most difficult moments" in its history.
The reason is a ‘peace deal’ drawn up by the Trump administration that would reportedly require Ukraine to surrender territory to Russia, agree to abandon efforts to join Nato, and reduce its armed forces.
If the reports are correct, it seems the US President wants Ukraine to voluntarily surrender land to Vladimir Putin that Russia’s military has been unable to take by force. Preventing Ukraine from joining Nato and limiting the size of its armed forces are also Russian war aims.
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‘The risk of losing a key partner’
In return, Ukraine would be given ‘security guarantees’, although whether these would be more effective than those that singularly failed to prevent Russian aggression to date remains to be seen.
Zelensky said Ukraine faced a “very difficult choice, either losing its dignity or the risk of losing a key partner”. It may be that Donald Trump is playing a game and that this is a bluff to win a lesser concession from Kyiv.
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However, we also need to face the bleak prospect that, unless Ukraine agrees to become a weakened vassal state of Putin’s Russia, the US may end its support.
If this was to happen, the UK, European Union and all countries who value freedom and democracy must do their utmost to fill the resulting gaps to the best of their capabilities.
The Republican party’s ‘Putin wing’
Keir Starmer, after speaking with Zelensky and the French and German leaders about the US plan, said: “We all want a just and lasting peace. That's what the president of America wants.” The need to emphasise his perhaps overly optimistic assessment of Trump’s stance spoke volumes.
Former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney has warned her party has what she calls a “Putin wing”. Trump’s disgraceful upbraiding of Zelensky in the White House earlier this year and his simpering attitude towards Putin may only have fuelled those suspicions.
We must support Ukraine as otherwise Europe may end up facing “one of the most difficult moments" of its own history.
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