US President Donald Trump has announced that Ukrainian President Zelensky can end the war by giving up Crimea and his intention to join NATO, and today, August 18, he has invited Ukrainian President Zelensky to Washington. The leaders of France, Germany, and several European countries will be present at this meeting.
Radar Armenia spoke with Hovsep Khurshudyan, head of the “Free Citizen” NGO, on this topic.
-How do you assess Trump’s statement that Ukrainian President Zelensky can almost immediately end the war with Russia if he wants to? What are the factors that hinder a quick resolution of the conflict?
-Well, if Zelensky agrees to Putin’s predatory proposals, namely to completely hand over those parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that Russia has not yet occupied, and similarly reconciles with the annexation of Crimea, agrees to never join NATO, of course, the war will stop immediately. But it will not be a peace treaty, but a capitulation, which Zelensky, I am sure, will never agree to, and the European Union will support him in this matter.
–Trump states: “No return to Crimea and no membership in NATO.” What risks or opportunities can this position create for Ukraine, including from the point of view of international security?
-Well, the fact that Trump agrees to the annexation of Crimea instead of Ukraine is in itself a gross violation of international law. Ukraine did not authorize him to negotiate with Putin about the sovereign territories of Ukraine. This, of course, is a highly undesirable approach for Ukraine, because by not agreeing to it, it would seem to allow Trump to blame it for not achieving peace. In general, Trump’s first term in office was marked by his disrespect for international law and agreements. We even felt it ourselves when Trump, being the head of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing country, turned a blind eye to Azerbaijan’s aggression against Artsakh and then Armenia, even though all the documents signed before that mentioned the exclusion of the use of force and even the threat of force in the resolution of the conflict as the first and foremost point. The same now – he is guided not by values, not by the norms of international law, but exclusively by the balance of power, and is ready to give an advantage to the strong, not the fair side. And if it were not for the support of the European Union and Great Britain to Ukraine, the latter would cease to exist as an independent state, which, by and large, Russia was striving for.
–According to Trump, now everything depends on Ukraine and the Europeans. How do you assess the current political and strategic position of Ukraine? What tactical options can the country use to preserve its sovereignty and security?
-You know, if by saying this, Trump means that Ukraine and Europe should raise a white flag and agree to Putin’s demands, then it is not clear what the value of his mediation was. To lure the Ukrainians and Europeans into a trap by saying that he had agreed with Putin that they should surrender? This is a mockery of a playful mediation, an imitation that, in his opinion, will allow him to back down from his promises to impose “monstrous” sanctions on Russia and its oil buyers. However, given the growing support of the absolute majority of Americans for Ukraine and his continuously declining reputation, this will be another blow to him and the Republican Party a year before the 2026 midterm elections.
–Can Germany, France, and other superpowers influence Ukraine’s position on the further resolution of the war during today’s meeting? What can we expect from this meeting?
-I think European countries are determined to bring Putin to order, and it is likely that they will try to persuade Trump to join in the tough sanctions against Russia. It is no coincidence that Trump refused to meet with Zelensky in the presence of European leaders and will do so separately. He is well aware of the Europeans’ stance. He understands the negative consequences of his unprofitable approach for himself and his party, but he appears to be constrained from taking any real steps against Putin.
