Although the mainstream of European politics concerning Ukraine has so far been determined not by a commitment to peacemaking but rather a pro-war position, yet a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to take place in Hungary, an EU country, which could be an important step towards peace in Ukraine.
Now that the war in Gaza has been ended, achieving peace in Ukraine has become a key issue for President Trump, given that it was one of his campaign promises.
The price and value of peace are not the same for everyone.
As for Moscow and Kyiv, the price of peace is measured in territory.
During a phone call with Trump, Putin demanded full control over the entire Donetsk region from Kyiv, in exchange for the withdrawal of Russian troops from some parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. In such a case, the war would come to an end, The Washington Post reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier repeatedly emphasized that such a scenario is unacceptable saying that territorial concessions could not be considered.
However, the situation may soon change radically, as may the European Union’s position on the issue of war and peace.
This is what the European Commission’s surprisingly positive statement suggests after it became known that a meeting between Trump and Putin may soon take place in Budapest. ’Any meeting that moves forward just and lasting peace in Ukraine is welcome,’ Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said.
What else could the EC say, now facing a situation where these leaders will discuss the issue of Ukraine in an EU country, but without the EU’s participation…?
It also should be noted that, after that 17 October, Donald Trump met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, he posted on Truth Social, emphasizing the importance of ending the war in Ukraine through a mutual declaration of victory. His comments drew significant criticism in Europe.
Meanwhile, European newspapers report that officials in Brussels say the Trump-Putin meeting could be useful if it helps make progress toward ending the war. Privately, however, several sources described it as a ’political nightmare’. Moreover, they claim that the summit’s location was chosen carefully and could serve Russia’s interests by exposing rifts within the bloc over the Kremlin.
The price of peace for the EU is a slap in the face, with details such as letting Putin’s plane into European airspace and the Russian ruler visiting an EU country without any top officials from Brussels involved.
The price of peace for Hungary is in connection with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s popularity, given that a meeting between Trump and Putin on the issue of peace in Ukraine can give Orbán’s ratings a significant boost ahead of next year’s national elections.
The price of peace cannot be too high for any of the sides. For the sake of the Ukrainian people, it is time for all sides to pay the negotiated price of peace, thus paving the way for peacemaking efforts. All the EU needs to do is not to block these efforts and not to intervene in the peace process.
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