Photo: Alamy | Op-ed by Summer Lane
No one has worked harder to achieve peace in Eastern Europe than President Donald Trump, and as he continues to forge a path toward conflict resolution between Russia and Ukraine, the stakes have never been higher.
In just the past few days, Trump has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on American soil (a historic event) and successfully hosted European leaders at the White House in a show of unity, with the aim of moving closer to closing a peace deal.
These actions are significant and highlight the growing momentum toward achieving peace. While not guaranteed, Putin’s willingness to meet with Trump – as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s significantly subdued behavior at the White House on Monday – are a step in the right direction.
On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized this point, praising “movement” on this issue after “years of deadly gridlock.”
Now, the Trump administration is working hard to set up a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky. If all goes well, there may be a possible trilateral meeting that includes President Trump.
“Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years,” Trump said on Truth Social.
As the situation develops, Americans – and people of every nation – have speculated about possible outcomes. Ultimately, peace hinges on whether Zelensky and Putin can come to agreeable terms, but it seems unlikely that everyone will get exactly what they want, which is often the case with war.
There’s no such thing as the perfect conclusion in a war
The war between Ukraine and Russia has resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties overseas. There have been almost one million Russians killed or injured, and there have been almost 400,000 casualties in Ukraine, with 100,000 deaths, according to the Center of Strategic and International Studies.
It’s impossible to replace lost lives, and so even if peace is achieved, the conflict will always serve as a sobering reminder of just how quickly the world can fall into chaos without American leadership keeping global power players in check.
“In order to get a good deal, both sides are going to have to walk away a little bit unhappy,” Leavitt told reporters this week.
Zelensky has been adamant that Ukraine will not cede territory to Russia, although Putin doubtless desires the Donbas region in the East, an industrial heartland that produces considerable coal and steel.
However, during his visit to the White House on Monday, Zelensky told reporters that the issue of territories would be “between me and Putin.” This could indicate, perhaps, that Zelensky is ready to negotiate on this term, especially as Trump has strong-armed Zelensky back to the negotiating table.
Will the meeting between Putin and Zelensky happen?
A bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky would mark a major turning point in this war, and a step forward for the cause of diplomacy. The White House has confirmed that Trump’s National Security team is busy working on a venue for such a potential meeting.
“I can tell you there are many options that are being discussed by our National Security team right now with both parties,” Leavitt noted this week.
While mainstream media outlets may believe that Putin will not follow through with such a meeting, it seems unlikely that he will waffle now, just days after showing deference to Trump by setting foot on American soil to engage in diplomatic talks.
Leavitt also mentioned this week the “tremendous public pressure” Trump has put on Putin to bring the war to an end. The momentum is on the side of peace, and Putin is likely feeling the squeeze.
And, even though Zelensky is hardly a strong or capable leader, he at least has the common sense, as of right now, to engage in diplomatic strategy talks with Trump, European leaders, the EU, and NATO.
What if peace is not achieved?
The possibility that Putin and Zelensky may be unable to agree on ending the war is not off the table. War is precarious and unpredictable, and whether this conflict resolves will come down to whether Zelensky is willing to give something up – perhaps Ukrainian territory.
During Monday’s press conference with Zelensky, Trump told the press that if a meeting is not achieved between Russia and Ukraine – whether it is trilateral or bilateral at this point is unclear – “then the fighting continues.”
He declined to state whether such a thing would be the “end of the road” in his work to achieve peace in the region, focusing on the importance of stopping the killing overseas.
“I know the president [Putin], and I know myself, and I believe Vladimir Putin wants to see it ended,” Trump said.
Putin’s or Zelensky’s refusal to cooperate in sealing a peace deal would ultimately be a disaster for Europe. Putin’s Russian military could take harsher action to conquer Ukraine, but it has largely been Trump’s looming presence that has stayed his hand.
Zelensky’s war efforts were largely sustained by the American taxpayer, as Joe Biden sent billions of dollars of military equipment and aid to Europe, thereby embroiling America in a potentially global conflict without the consent of the people.
Should Russia take Ukraine, Putin’s nation will only grow stronger – they will have access to industrial resources in Donbas, and they will be able to expand their trade and commerce capabilities through the integral Black Sea ports.
This is a sobering threat, especially when one considers that Russia has the biggest nuclear arsenal in the world, eclipsing even the United States.
Therefore, it is in the best interests of the globe that peace and safety reign in Eastern Europe. This is why President Trump is working so hard to close the deal. He knows that while Americans do not want to fight in a world war, global conflict could still come eventually, if Putin were allowed to move unchecked.
A resolution must come swiftly
The fly in the ointment has consistently been Zelensky, who, up until this point, has been difficult to negotiate with and was even kicked out of the White House in February for rude behavior.
Despite this, it seems that European leaders have unified with Trump in his quest for peace, which has put considerable pressure on Zelensky to be a team player. And Trump, for his part, has done the hardest job of all: bringing Putin to the table to talk.
This is a very difficult and delicate situation that was unleashed on the world by Joe Biden’s reckless administration, and the best way to resolve it is to do it swiftly and efficiently. Time will tell how negotiations unfold between Russia and Ukraine, but it is a comforting thought knowing that this is all happening under President Trump’s watchful eye.
