If there was any doubt about where the US stands on Ukraine after its UN vote against a resolution condemning Russia on February 24, it was dispelled by the stand-off between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House just days later, further confirmed by the suspension of military aid and intelligence support.
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Now that the US has disqualified itself, the role of peacemaker has fallen on the shoulders of a European “coalition of the willing” – led by France and the UK. European powers recognise their responsibilities for Ukraine’s predicament.
France and Germany were part of the Normandy format which negotiated the failed Minsk agreements after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. After the Soviet Union’s collapse, together with the US and Russia, the UK gave security assurances to Ukraine for giving up its nuclear arsenal in the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.
While the US and UK might have complied with the letter of the agreement after Russia invaded Ukraine, some would feel they fell short of upholding its spirit. Moreover, Ukraine is fighting not just for its sovereignty, but also for Europe’s collective security, having paid a staggering price in blood and destruction.
The US has supplied critical resources to sustain Ukraine’s war effort – although perhaps not decisively and swiftly enough. But the conflict can be seen as a proxy war between US and Russia with Ukrainian lives as the primary currency. The US has leveraged Ukraine’s sacrifices to exhaust Russian military capacity while avoiding American casualties. To whom should gratitude be owed – isn’t the answer obvious?
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Instead, the Trump administration has sought to extort mineral resources in exchange for supporting Ukraine. While the US wants to be in the driver’s seat for the peace settlement, the world can see it is not a trustworthy arbiter given its self-serving agenda. The misaligned interests of the US and Europe demand a different coalition of peacemakers.