P
resident Trump has been eager to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, showing little concern for the details of the peace he wants to secure. Once again, his close advisers – Steve Witkoff, JD Vance, Jared Kushner and Marco Rubio, who joined later – have tried to force a decision from Moscow and Kyiv – though mainly from Kyiv, seen as the weak link to pressure. Can we draw any initial conclusions from what just happened?
First, it is important to note that the circumstances have changed. Compared with the events of February 28, when President Zelensky was humiliated in the Oval Office, or the Alaska summit on August 15, which yielded no progress, Ukraine's position has deteriorated. This is true militarily – even if Ukrainians can still hold on, contrary to what Russia tries to claim – but especially in economic, financial and, finally, political terms.
The so-called "collective West" does not seem ready to take the necessary measures to further weaken a Russia already in difficulty. The corruption scandal that led to the forced resignation of the Ukrainian president's right-hand man has added another layer of vulnerability for Kyiv. It is possible that the Ukrainian authorities feel the moment is approaching when they will have to consider painful sacrifices, particularly territorial ones, to preserve what is essential – ideally in exchange for Western security guarantees as robust as possible.
