European heads of state have publicly backed Donald Trump’s appeal for an immediate halt to hostilities between Russia and Ukraine. Unlike Trump, however, they refuse to countenance Ukraine relinquishing the majority of the contested Donbas region, currently under heavy Russian control.
In a joint declaration, leaders from the European Union, the United Kingdom, France and Germany affirmed their support for Trump’s insistence that the current front line should serve as a starting point for peace talks. At the same time they made clear: “We remain steadfast in the view that borders must not be changed by use of force.”
Yesterday Trump urged that the war in Ukraine should end and proposed that the Donbas region remain as is. The region is largely occupied by Russia.
Let it stay divided as it stands now, around 78 percent already under Russian occupation. Let’s freeze it there, then maybe later we can negotiate
President Donald Trump
For Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, yielding territory has always been off the table. He is concerned that if Ukraine agrees to such a deal, President Vladimir Putin will never hand back the land he seized. Accordingly, he has pressed for Russian troop withdrawal.
European leaders argue that Ukraine alone has shown real willingness to seek peace. “It is clear to all of us that Putin keeps opting for violence and destruction,” they write.
In order to compel Russia into negotiations, the leaders call for intensifying pressure on its economy and war-industry: “Until Putin is prepared to make peace.” They reference discussions about deploying frozen Russian assets in Western countries to assist Ukraine’s economy and war-effort.
The EU heads will meet on Thursday in Brussels where the use of Russian frozen funds to support Ukraine is on the agenda. This will be followed by a summit in London on Friday with other Ukraine supporters including the UK and Canada.