Will Trump’s Ukraine Peace Deal Effectively Be A Form Of Putin Appeasement?

His 2024 election campaign was no exception, only this time, he was promising to stop wars, too.

Trump claims to be such a good mediator that he is not even afraid to do deals with ruthless dictators – like Vladimir Putin.

While the rest of Ukraine’s allies have refused to consider organising a truce with the Kremlin until Kyiv initiates it, Trump has already pledged to end the three-year war within his day.

But, with his inauguration less than a month away, just how likely is it that Trump will be able to secure a deal?

And will actually stop the war – or just appease Putin, temporarily?

Will Trump actually be able to set up some kind of Ukraine-Russia peace deal?

That depends on your definition of a deal.

According to senior consulting fellow of Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia Programme, Keir Giles, Trump will probably be able to force Moscow and Kyiv to agree to something which he can portray as a deal.

However, Giles told HuffPost UK: “Is it going to be something that is durable, sustainable and actually ensures fighting comes to an end on a more or less permanent basis? Almost certainly not.”

Giles said it all comes down to the US president-elect and the Russian president finding a “mutual point of interest that sells”.

For Trump, that most likely means living up to his own promises of ending the war – at least, for now – while, for Putin, it means weakening Ukraine and taking as much of its land as he can.

Giles also warned: “Putin has given every indication during Trump’s first presidency that he knew precisely how to play him in order to get the maximum possible benefit function.”

There is a chance the Russian president may be able to get his way in exchange just for appearing to stop the war – while possibly still hoping to take more of eastern Europe.

It is worth remembering that Trump and Putin appeared to strike up quite the friendship during the Republican’s first term in office, and the president-elect even praised Putin’s invasion in 2022, calling it “genius” and “savvy”.

Putin has also said he was “ready” to talk to Trump – but a deal depends on more than just those two.

There is, of course, a third albeit less powerful player in these negotiations, Ukraine, who previously refused to negotiate with Putin unless all Russian troops were withdrawn from Ukrainian land.

There’s a mutual interest between Trump and Putin to do something but of course the wild card is Ukraine, which would prefer to survive,” Giles said, adding: “The likelihood of Ukraine agreeing to something that blights its future permanently is pretty slim.”

President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin
President Donald Trump, right, shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin

via Associated Press

Why would Putin agree to a pause in the fighting?

Putin has made it clear that his main objective is to seize the whole of Ukraine.

But almost three years later, his army is drained of both resources and personnel – and he is having to rely on troops from North Korea.

So Putin may be more inclined to press pause on the conflict, so he can keep his troops in the occupied parts of Ukraine.

Giles also noted there would be some diplomatic benefit to freezing the war, saying: “To some extent Putin will want to make Trump look good if they’re looking for future cooperation.”

Meanwhile, Steve Forbes, of Forbes Media, claimed Putin would be rooting for the kind of deal Hitler got from Neville Chamberlain in Munich 1938 – in exchange for a chunk of Czechoslovakia – which only lasted a few months before World War 2 began.

As Forbes claimed: “Like Hitler, Putin won’t be appeased, that’s why he must be thwarted.”

Giles also seemed questioned the idea of just trying to placate the Russian president because of the impact it would have on the rest of Europe.

He said: “The problem is it also buys time for Putin to rebuild its forces without Ukraine destroying them almost as fast as they can be rebuilt.

“And precedent suggests the danger is that as soon as a ceasefire is declared, whether or not is a real and durable one, that will give western Europe the opportunity to pretend the problem has gone away and to ease off its own paltry efforts to actually rebuild its defence.”

Former adviser to the Ukrainian government, Yuliya Kazdobina claimed Putin does not have any interest at all in ending his invasion long-term.

Writing for the Atlantic Council earlier this month, she said: “Putin appears to be as committed as ever to his goal of extinguishing Ukrainian statehood entirely.”

She said: “As Donald Trump attempts to implement his campaign promise and end the war in Ukraine, he is likely to discover that his famed deal-making skills are no match for Putin’s single-minded obsession with the destruction of Ukraine.

“In words and deeds, Putin has repeatedly demonstrated his commitment to wiping Ukraine off the map.

“In such circumstances, any talk of a compromise settlement is dangerously delusional.

“Until Putin is forced to recognise Ukraine’s right to exist, any peace deals will be temporary and the threat of further Russian aggression will remain.”

Similarly, a Western military source told HuffPost UK: “If negotiation means capitulation on his terms, I think he’s ready to do that. But he is not ready for a genuine negotiation about Ukraine’s future sovereignty.”

Soldiers of Ukraine's 1st Separate Mechanised Battalion
Soldiers of Ukraine’s 1st Separate Mechanised Battalion

via Associated Press

Is a Trump peace deal the best option for Ukraine?

The best outcome for Ukraine would be if Trump were to reject any request from Putin, throw his weight fully behind Ukraine and lift any restrictions on US weaponry to Kyiv – but that’s pretty unlikely to happen considering the recent promises from his incoming administration.

The details of the president-elect’s potential agreement are still unclear, but it’s believed he wants to take Ukraine’s potential Nato membership off the table and propose Zelenskyy concedes some land to Moscow – even though that was a red line for Kyiv in the past.

According to Forbes, Trump can still get a “great deal” for Kyiv without asking all the Russian forces in Crimea and the eastern part of the country.

He said: “Indeed a settlement will realistically involve the Kremlin getting formal control of a few pieces of territory in the east, where it can claim the population is predominantly Russian.

“But either way the people there should have the right to emigrate elsewhere.”

He claimed that Ukrainians might have to pull out of Kursk, the Russian region which Kyiv seized in August.

“But the final deal must unmistakably leave Ukraine an independent nation with strong security arrangements,” he said.

He also suggested Ukraine could avoid Nato membership – one of Putin’s red lines – by having permanent military bases in the country, funded by frozen Russian assets.

However, others believe Ukraine should not be forced into any kind of negotiation.

The EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas told the FT: “There’s no point pushing Zelenskyy to talk when Putin doesn’t want to talk.

“We can’t talk about peacekeepers when there’s no peace. And why is there no peace? Because Russia does not want peace.”

Labour MP David Taylor told HuffPost UK: “Talks of any form of deal are for the Ukrainian people and their president.

“They are the ones who have been engaged in a bloody war, fighting tooth and nail for freedom against Russian tyranny.”

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks addresses a media conference during an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks addresses a media conference during an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024.

via Associated Press

What happens if Ukraine rejects any peace deal?

In the unlikely scenario that Ukraine rejects any deal with Russia, Giles suggested the White House might utilise the authority it has over Kyiv as the country’s most powerful ally.

He said: “Trump can use leverage against Kyiv far more effectively than he can on Putin for example, by freezing aide to Ukraine.”

Without the US, Kyiv would be less restrained in terms of how it fights Moscow.

For instance, Washington famously dragged its feet when it came to authorising Kyiv’s use of its long-range missiles against Russia, and only gave its permission in November after months of pleading from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

But Giles said: “Ukraine will be able to continue fighting with or without support [from the US].

“Let’s not forget that in the run up to the full scale invasion when all the predictions that were coming from the US in particular – not from the UK – was that Ukraine would be overrun swiftly, all of the planning and support for Ukraine was for after it was overrun.

“The last time that happened, 1944-45, resistance actually continued for more than a decade afterwards.”

Yet, Giles was wary that Ukraine can only succeed if it still has the backing from its other allies.

He added: “If Europe is unable to or unwilling to step up to fill the gap [from the US], then the prospects for Ukraine are dire.”

However, Kyiv may well choose to discard its own red lines rather than lose the US as an ally.

Zelenskyy has been presenting Trump with his “victory plan” for months, and appears to softening his language around negotiations.

While making it clear he does not want any other country to negotiate with Putin without Ukraine’s backing, he pointed out that Kyiv is not exactly in a strong position right now.

“Are we in NATO? We don’t know. Will we be part of the EU? Yes, in the future, but when?” he said.

“Under these circumstances, sitting down at the negotiating table with Putin means giving him the right to dictate terms in our part of the world.

“First, we need to develop a model, an action plan, or a peace plan – call it what you will. Then we can present it to Putin or, more broadly, to the Russians.”

He said in December that his troops can only count on “diplomatic pressures” to oust Russia from Ukraine’s occupied territories, as his troops “do not have the strength” to remove them by force.

As Giles explained: “Ukraine might at some point reach the calculus that it is better to freeze the conflict for the sake of national survival.

“But that certainly won’t be an end of the long-term war.”

Former President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024
Former President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024

via Associated Press

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Zelenskyy Calls On World To Be ‘United’ Against Putin As UK Says Russia Is Making ‘Further Gains’ In Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the world to be “united and stronger than ever” against Vladimir Putin as the UK said Russia is making “further gains” in Ukraine.

According to the latest intelligence update from the Ministry of Defence, Moscow’s troops are advancing on the “key logistical hub” of Pokrovsk in Donetsk after gaining control of the nearby village of Shevchenko.

In a post on X, the MoD said: “Russia will likely continue to make gains towards Pokrovsk whilst continuing to advance westwards to the south of the town.”

Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, revealed that in the last week alone, Russia has used nearly 630 guided aerial bombs, around 550 strike drones, and over 100 missiles against his country.

He said: “I am grateful to the warriors defending Ukraine and to our partners who understand our need to bolster Ukraine’s air defences to save the lives of our people.

“Now, the world must be united and stronger than ever. Only through strength can we together force Russia and its allies to give up terror and achieve a just peace.”

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has also announced that Ukraine will support humanitarian efforts in Syria following the fall of its former president, Bashar al-Assad.

He said: “For Ukraine, this is important: the calmer the situation in such regions, the more actively the world can help us achieve peace.

“It is precisely for this reason that Moscow tries so hard to ignite more conflicts and wars in various parts of the world, fuelling instability and adding to global challenges.”

The president said a “grain from Ukraine” programme would allow his country to provide Syria with food.

“We call on everyone worldwide to join stabilisation efforts to ensure that the war—ignited over a decade ago in Syria with the involvement of Iran and Russia—can finally come to an end,” he said in a post on X.

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Russia Making ‘Rapid Advances’ In Ukraine As Volodymyr Zelenskyy Hints At Peace Deal

Russian forces are making “rapid advances” in Ukraine amid fresh hope of a peace deal in the conflict.

The latest intelligence update from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Putin’s troops “are attacking behind established Ukrainian defences” as the third anniversary of the beginning of the war approaches.

It came after Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Sky News that he could be willing to give up territory already occupied by Russia to bring about a ceasefire.

In return, the Ukrainian president said land still held by Kyiv could come under “the Nato umbrella”.

He said his country could then seek to get back the land it has lost “in a diplomatic way” in the future.

Any peace deal must also contain a”guarantee that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will not come back” for more Ukrainian territory, Zelenskyy said.

His comments come as Russia appears to be gaining the upper hand in the war.

The MoD update posted on X said: “In Donetsk oblast, Russian forces have made rapid advances towards the eastern flank of Velyka Novosilka.

“The town has been situated on the front line since 2022 and has acted as a lynchpin of Ukraine’s defensive line.”

The MoD said the area is now “vulnerable to Russian attacks due to the loss of Vuhledar, 30 km to the east, in October”.

They added: “This enabled increased Russian advances into less well defended areas in western Donetsk oblast.

“Russian forces are attacking behind established Ukrainian defences and threatening the primary logistics routes to the town.”

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has thanked the UK for its ongoing support for Ukraine.

In a video posted on X, he said: “We value the UK’s decision to impose sanctions on Russia’s shadow tanker fleet. This keeps the world on the right track—a course toward justice. Toward ensuring that Russia feels its responsibility for this war, for its consequences, and is compelled towards peace. The world is able to ensure this.”

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Ukraine’s Hopes Rest On Appealing To Trump’s Dealmaking Instincts

In his September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was asked if he wanted Ukraine to be victorious in its efforts to fight off Russia’s brutal invasion.

“I want the war to stop,” Trump, now president-elect, replied. “That is a war that is dying to be settled. I will get it settled before I even become president.”

Now, after Trump’s win Tuesday, Ukraine and its allies in the US are preparing for the worst — a complete end to US military aid, forcing the embattled European country to choose between capitulation and limping along — and hoping Trump’s affinity for Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t win out.

What hopes they have appear to rest on the idea that Trump considers himself the consummate dealmaker — and if he wants to have any leverage in trying to broker a peace, he needs to help Ukraine keep the pressure on Russia on the battlefield.

Donald Trump meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower on Sept. 27 in New York.
Donald Trump meets with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Trump Tower on Sept. 27 in New York.

via Associated Press

Putin, through his military, has sought to show Ukrainians this week the cost of continuing to resist. On Thursday, waves of armed drones led to an eight hour air alert in in Kyiv, keeping many of its residents huddled in the subway for safety.

In the Black Sea port city of Odesa, Russian drones armed with thermobaric bombs hit residential areas Thursday, local media reported. These bombs contain two stages — an initial explosive that spreads a flammable accelerant, and a second stage that ignites that fuel, drawing the air out of the surrounding area to make a larger explosion. In addition to the blast, these “vacuum bombs” literally suck the air out of the lungs of those nearby.

In the southern city of Kherson, Russians have recently started using drones with first-person cameras to hunt unsuspecting civilians as they go about daily errands, dropping bombs on them from above. Locals have grimly started calling it the “human safari.”

Stopping these attacks will require more US military aid, on top of the $52.7 billion already committed to Ukraine since the invasion began in February 2022. The Biden administration has been criticised by Ukrainian officials and military experts for providing too little aid to Ukraine, and too slowly, even as Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has asked for new weapons to strike into the interior of Russia.

After the election, the pro-Ukraine advocacy group Razom urged Congress to pass a new aid package in the post-election lame duck session before Trump takes office in January.

Children sit on a floor inside Arsenalna metro station during air alert in Kyiv, Ukraine on Wednesday.
Children sit on a floor inside Arsenalna metro station during air alert in Kyiv, Ukraine on Wednesday.

via Associated Press

The aid package must enable Ukrainians to survive the winter, push Putin’s forces back, and give President-elect Trump the flexibility he needs to act from a position of strength,” Razom said.

“Failure to urgently pass a supplemental package risks undermining President-elect Trump’s position before he assumes office.”

Why would Republicans in Congress agree to fund more weapons for a war Trump has said he would like to end, and has signalled he will end, by threatening to cut off weapons to Ukraine?

Leverage, according to Doug Klain, policy analyst for Razom.

Biden is planning to exhaust the current amount of so-called drawdown authority by the end of the year. Drawdown authority allows the president to declare some US weapons to be surplus, and thus available to be sent to allies abroad. It has been one of the main ways US weaponry has been donated to Ukraine.

Trump would need to go back to Congress to get similar authority if Biden follows through.

That would give Trump a way to show Russia he wasn’t going to just ”[let] Putin do what he wants,” Klain said.

Drawdown authority is discretionary — Trump alone could decide whether to use it or not. Being able to credibly threaten to send Ukraine more weapons without needing congressional approval would bring a recalcitrant Putin to the bargaining table, the argument goes.

A soldier of Ukraine's National Guard 15th Brigade carries a reconnaissance drone Leleka on a wheat field near the front line in Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraine in July.
A soldier of Ukraine’s National Guard 15th Brigade carries a reconnaissance drone Leleka on a wheat field near the front line in Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraine in July.

via Associated Press

“All that Republicans would be doing by passing a new supplemental during the lame duck session is giving Trump options,” Klain said.

A spokesperson for House Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican, Louisana) told HuffPost that the Republican majority had no interest in taking up a Ukraine supplemental soon. In April, Johnson put his political life on the line by bringing forward a Ukraine funding bill to the House floor, against the wishes of many in his party.

Oleksiy Goncharenko, a Ukrainian parliament member representing Odesa, also held onto the idea of Trump as a wild card.

“Yes, there are a lot of challenges, but also there are possibilities,” Goncharenko told HuffPost. “What’s good about Trump? Good is that he’s unpredictable, not only for us, but for Putin, too.”

Goncharenko said the world was devolving from a rules-based international order to “a deals-based international order.”

“I think that President Trump will try to make a deal with Putin. But the question is, will he succeed or not? And if he will not succeed, how will he react?”

The bedrock assumption underlying much of Trump’s thinking about Ukraine may be that Putin — after losing, by Kyiv’s count, 700,000 soldiers in just under 1,000 days would be happy simply to consolidate his gains in eastern and southern Ukraine in return for a ceasefire.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.), right, meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Capitol July 10 in Washington.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.), right, meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Capitol July 10 in Washington.

via Associated Press

But Ukrainians believe Putin would use a ceasefire to rearm for another war, and even Russian public officials hint that he would not have achieved his objective if the war were to end now.

Klain pointed to remarks by Sergei Karaganov, a prominent pro-war Putin ally, at a recent conference. Asked about Trump’s peace ideas, Karaganov said the important thing wasn’t what Trump wants but what Russia wants, adding Ukraine needs to be “shared” and demilitarised.

As if to emphasize the point, Putin did not call Trump to congratulate him and a prominent political pundit show on Russia 1, a state-sponsored TV channel, aired pictures from former First Lady Melania Trump’s nude modeling days soon after Tuesday’s election.

“We control only what we do. We can’t control what the Russians do. And the Russians are very clear about what they’ll do,” Klain said.

Another assumption that may be behind Trump’s thinking — that Ukrainians would simply give up and accept Russian control over Ukraine’s territory — is also questionable.

“Ukraine will never, ever accept Ukrainian territories to be Russian. Not Donald Trump, nor anybody else, will make us accept this. But the question is how to reclaim them,” Goncharenko said.

Ukrainian military veterans with amputations rest on bench on Khreshchatyk street in August in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Ukrainian military veterans with amputations rest on bench on Khreshchatyk street in August in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Goncharenko did say he thought Zelenskyy made “a big mistake” in visiting a Scranton, Pa., artillery factory in September to thank the workers there. Zelenskyy made the visit while in the US to speak to the United Nations and consult with Washington. But the visit included no Republican elected officials, leading top Republicans to slam it as partisan.

On Friday, The New York Times reported Trump put Tesla CEO Elon Musk on the phone with Zelenskyy during a brief phone call.

The Times did not report what the subject of the call was, but Musk is a key supplier to the Ukrainian military as the CEO of satellite Internet provider Starlink, which has become vital for Ukraine’s battlefield communications. Ukraine’s Donbas region, one of the key fronts in the war, is also rich in rare earth minerals, such as lithium, that are important in the production of electric cars — like those built by Tesla.

Ukrainians could take heart that Trump appears to be considering at least one well-known Ukraine hawk for a top job in his administration. House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (Republican, Alaska) is reportedly under consideration to lead the Pentagon.

Children from Gymnasium No. 6 head to a basement set up with classrooms during an air alert in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sept. 3. The city is building a dozen subterranean schools designed to be radiation- and bomb-proof.
Children from Gymnasium No. 6 head to a basement set up with classrooms during an air alert in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Sept. 3. The city is building a dozen subterranean schools designed to be radiation- and bomb-proof.

via Associated Press

Goncharenko was philosophical about what was next in the conflict. Given Trump’s stance and Harris’ stout defence of Ukraine aid, the choice of who Ukrainians should root for had been an easy one.

But Goncharenko said he personally was not despairing.

“We are where we are,” Goncharenko said. “We can’t change anything [in the U.S.]. We just can’t. So we just need to watch what will happen and we should do the best we can do.”

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Putin Risking ‘Disaster’ By Planning Attack On Ukraine’s Nuclear Power Plants, Says Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The Ukrainian president told the United Nations General Assembly that his intelligence agencies had uncovered his Russian counterpart’s deadly intentions.

He said the revelation was further proof of the need for the international community to continue to put pressure on Putin to end the war.

Zelenskyy said: “Recently I received another alarming report from our intelligence. Now Putin does seem to be planning attacks on our nuclear power plants and their infrastructure, aiming to disconnect the plants from the power grid.

“With the help of satellites, by the way, of other countries, Russia is getting images and detailed information about the infrastructure of our nuclear power plants.

“But what does this really threaten? Any missile or drone strike, any critical incident in the energy system, could lead to a nuclear disaster. A day like that must never come.

“Moscow needs to understand this and this depends, in part, on your determination to put pressure on the aggressor. These are nuclear power plants. They must be safe.”

He added: “If, God forbid, Russia causes a nuclear disaster at one of our nuclear power plants, the radiation will not respect state borders, and unfortunately various nations could feel the devastating effects.”

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Zelenskyy Hits Out Leaders Who ‘Flirt’ With Vladimir Putin In Angry Dig

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy just slammed the world leaders who “flirt” with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

It comes amid speculation a second Trump administration would be less sympathetic to Ukraine’s cause than the White House currently is.

Republican nominee and former US president Trump has only said that he wants the war in Ukraine to end, not who he wants to win.

Pundits believe Trump could even end up pushing Ukraine to cede land to Putin just in an effort to end the violent conflict.

Still, in a weekend interview with the New Yorker, Zelenskyy did not name which politicians he was talking about when he expressed concerns about Putin’s relationships with international counterparts.

Zelenskyy said: “A lot of world leaders want to have some sort of dealings with Putin, to reach agreements, to conduct some business with him.

“I look at such leaders and realise that they are very interested in playing this game—and for them, unfortunately, it really is a game.

“But what makes a real leader? A leader is someone whom Putin needs for something, not a person who needs Putin.

“Flirting with him is not a sign of strength.”

While the war in Ukraine has left Putin pretty isolated on the world stage – particularly when it comes to former allies in the West – he still has a handful of supporters, like China’s Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi.

However, if Trump were to be re-elected and reduce US support for Ukraine, there’s little doubt that would shift the war into Russia’s favour.

When questioned about Trump’s plans to “stop” the Ukraine war, Zelenskyy said: “My feeling is that Trump doesn’t really know how to stop the war even if he might think he knows how.

“With this war, oftentimes, the deeper you look at it the less you understand.

“I’ve seen many leaders who were convinced they knew how to end it tomorrow, and as they waded deeper into it, they realised it’s not that simple.”

He also said he believes Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, is “too radical” and has a plan to “give up our territories” as part of a Ukrainian sacrifice.

Zelenskyy declared it to be an “awful idea” and said while there was “no way this could ever happen”, Vance was still sending “dangerous signals”.

He added: “Whichever president or vice-president raises this prospect—that ending the war hinges on cementing the status quo, with Ukraine simply giving up its land—should be held responsible for potentially starting a global war.

“Because such a person would be implying that this kind of behaviour is acceptable.”

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Zelenskyy Urges West To Overcome Its ‘Fear’ And Let Ukraine Fire British Missiles Into Russia

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on the west to overcome its “fear” and let Ukraine fire British long-range missiles into Russia.

The Ukrainian president urged its allies to show “decisiveness” after Moscow launched fresh attacks on the city of Kharkiv.

Posting on X, he said: “The world must help us defend ourselves against Russian military aircraft and the dozens of guided aerial bombs that claim Ukrainian lives every day.

“This terror can be stopped. But to stop it, the fear of making strong, objectively necessary decisions must be overcome. Only decisiveness can bring a just end to this war. It is decisiveness that most effectively protects against terror.”

His comments came after talks between Joe Biden and Keir Starmer in the White House broke up without any agreement on whether Ukraine will be allowed to use British-made Storm Shadow missiles on Russian soil.

Vladimir Putin has warned that such a move would lead to war between Russia and Nato.

He said: “We won’t be bullied by Putin’s shameless grandstanding.

“What he should now do is cease his aggression and leave Ukraine, that’s what he should do.

“But the UK and our public should be absolutely confident that we are supporting Ukraine in their struggle.”

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‘Time For Decisive Action’: Volodymyr Zelenskyy Calls On UK To Help Stop Russian ‘Terror’

Volodymr Zelenskyy has made a fresh plea for help from western nations – including the UK – after a wave of Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president said “the time for decisive action is now” as he urged his country’s allies to “help us stop this terror”.

Moscow launched around 200 missile and drone attacks on targets across Ukraine, including a reservoir, amid warnings that “millions” could die as a result.

In a video posted on X, Zelenskyy said: “Like most Russian strikes before, this one was equally insidious, targeting critical civilian infrastructure.”

Keir Starmer has insisted that the UK will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine, and British tanks were used earlier this month during Kyiv’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

However, the government has so far rebuffed Ukrainian pleas to use British-made Storm Shadow missiles to launch attacks against Russian targets.

But Zelenskyy said it was now time to allow Ukraine to use western arms in any way they see fit to defeat Russian president Vladimir Putin.

He said: “Putin can only act within the limits the world sets for him. Weakness and inadequate responses fuel terror.

“Every leader, every one of our partners, knows the decisive actions required to end this war justly. Ukraine cannot be constrained in its long-range capabilities when the terrorists face no such limitations.

“Our defenders cannot be restricted in their weapons when Russia deploys its entire arsenal, including “Shaheds” and ballistic missiles from North Korea.

“America, Britain, France, and our other partners have the power to help us stop this terror. The time for decisive action is now.”

Among the Ukrainian infrastructure targeted by Russia was a dam north of Kyiv.

Yaroslav Trofimov of the Wall Street Journal said: “If the dam breaks, millions of people downstream can die.”

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‘A Victory’: Volodymyr Zelenskyy Hails EU’s Decision To Start Ukraine Accession Talks

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed the decision by the European Union for Ukraine to begin accession talks to become a member of the bloc.

Charles Michel, president of the European Council, announced the move on X (formerly Twitter).

Responding on the same platform, the Ukrainian president said: “This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires, and strengthens.”

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Ukraine Accelerates Application To Join Nato. Will It Happen?

A defiant Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced Ukraine is formally applying for fast-track membership of the Nato military alliance, cranking up fears of a full-blown conflict between Russia and the West.

The Ukrainian leader’s move appeared to have been prompted by Russian president Valdimir Putin holding a ceremony in Moscow to proclaim four partially-occupied Ukrainian regions as annexed Russian land, following a series of sham referendums. The land-grab breaks international law.

A video showed president Zelenskyy announcing the membership bid and then signing a document flanked by his prime minister and the speaker of parliament.

“De facto, we have already proven compatibility with alliance standards,” Zelenskyy said. “We trust each other, we help each other, and we protect each other. This is the alliance.”

The announcement is likely to stoke Putin, who sees Nato as a hostile military alliance bent on encroaching in Moscow’s sphere of influence and destroying it.

In his video speech, Zelenskyy accused Russia of brazenly rewriting history and redrawing borders “using murder, blackmail, mistreatment and lies”, something he said Kyiv would not allow.

What is Nato?

The military alliance goes by the acronym of Nato.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was formed in 1949 to prevent a resurgence of nationalism and militarism in Europe after two world wars, and to deter the Soviet Union’s expansion.

Its membership has swelled to 30 member nations, and over the 1990s and 2000s its enlargement stretched further east to include the former Soviet republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

They agree to mutual defence – military action – in response to an enemy attack. The principle goes: “An attack against one ally is considered as an attack against all allies.” This is Article 5 of the Nato constitution.

Sweden and Finland, which shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) border with Russia, sought membership to Nato earlier this year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but have faced a hurdle as its application needs the approval of all 30 current members, with Turkey raising objections.

Efforts to join the US-led military alliance marked a radical break in the policy of both north east European countries given their staunch military neutrality.

Nato member countries in Europe
Nato member countries in Europe

PA Graphics via PA Graphics/Press Association Images

Because Ukraine is not a member of Nato, Western support for Zelenskyy has fallen short of putting their troops on the ground.

Nato’s enlargement was Putin’s biggest publicly-stated grievance with the West during the build-up up to war, claiming the eastward expansion and potentially sweeping up the largest other former Soviet republic breaks promises.

Nato has been adamant it will not accept limits on the nations that it admits and has always maintained an “open door policy”.

Will tensions flare up more?

Many will fear the countries are on a collision course that could lead to a bona fide world war.

Putin vowed to protect newly-annexed regions of Ukraine by “all available means”, a nuclear-backed threat where he also railled furiously at the West, accusing the United States and its allies of seeking Russia’s destruction.

Russia has repeatedly made clear that any prospect of Ukraine joining the world’s largest military alliance is one of his red lines and it was among the justifications he has cited for his invasion — the biggest land war in Europe since the Second World War.

Will Nato membership actually happen?

The immediate ramifications of the “accelerated” Nato application weren’t clear, since it requires the unanimous support of all members. The supply of Western weapons to Ukraine has, however, put it closer to the alliance’s orbit.

But it seems unlikely Nato will accept Ukraine’s application while a war is raging. Article 5 compels fellow members to actively defend it against Russia, a commitment that goes well beyond the supply of weapons.

Ukraine’s admission to Nato has been a stated goal going back to its constitution in 2002, but at the start of the war Zelenskyy accepted his country couldn’t join at present.

“For years we heard about the apparently open door, but have already also heard that we will not enter there, and these are truths and must be acknowledged,” he said at the time.

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