Why a Trump-Putin call matters for Ukraine
A potential path to ending the war between Russia and Ukraine is through direct, high-level negotiations among the key players in the current geopolitical context: the Russian Federation, Ukraine, the United States, and the European Union.
International relations expert Laurențiu Pleșca argues that a direct, coordinated, and swift diplomatic effort would strengthen the chances of a lasting peace agreement to end the Russo-Ukrainian War and restore security on the European continent.
The recent multilateral summit of Ukrainian, US, and European leaders was "a turning point in the transatlantic architecture" of support for Kyiv that could mark the beginning of the end of the war.
"The multilateral summit of the Ukrainian, European, and American sides was a moment of transatlantic unity, which has brought about the first results, making peace in Ukraine possible without an armistice, and the security agreement would be monitored primarily by the United States and European states," Laurențiu Pleșca told Moldova 1.
A notable development is the position expressed by Donald Trump, who, according to the expert, has for the first time expressed interest in offering security guarantees to Ukraine.
"This is the first time that US President Donald Trump has explicitly said that he would be interested in offering security guarantees to Kyiv. The expert also referred to a future trilateral meeting between the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the United States. (...) We also observed that, in addition to the mention of security guarantees, European states have fully committed to supporting the Ukrainian state. This also involves sharing certain costs for this security agreement," the expert pointed out.
In this context, Pleșca recalled that the idea of security guarantees was initiated by Ukraine as early as the first weeks of the Russian invasion in 2022, being one of Kyiv's main objectives to prevent a repeat of the aggression.
"First of all, I want to mention that the term 'security guarantees' first appeared in President Zelenskyy's speech in the very first weeks of the war in Ukraine, back in 2022. It is practically Ukraine's position—what Ukraine asked for: to have security guarantees so that, after a potential peace agreement, this massacre that is happening right now, the Russian Federation's aggression directed against Ukraine, does not happen again," the political scientist explained on Moldova 1.
The United States, according to the expert, has already begun to assume the role of guarantor of Ukraine's defense, both financially and strategically.
"Basically, the United States is committing to deliver weapons for Ukraine's defense worth $100 billion. This is a proposal from Kyiv and shows the US's intention to integrate Ukraine into the American military-industrial chain," he noted.
However, the expert warns that the Kremlin's position remains unclear.
"We have only seen statements that it will not allow a red line for NATO troop presence. It has not specified anything regarding the presence of American or European troops," the political scientist remarked.
Pleșca also stressed that an immediate phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, in the context of these negotiations, could be seen as a show of strength by the American leader.
"Of course, we didn't expect that, after potential negotiations and discussions between the United States and Kyiv and European partners, a call with Vladimir Putin would immediately follow. This rather sends the message that, from a position of strength, the American leader has discussed the matter with the Russian leader. I think this call can also be seen as a show of power, where Donald Trump is trying to send a message to Vladimir Putin..." Pleșca concluded.
After the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, a historic summit took place on Monday in Washington, attended by US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and leaders from the European Union and the United Kingdom.
The discussions centred on Ukraine's security in the context of its conflict with Russia, with an emphasis on establishing security guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5. The Trump administration supported the formation of a "coalition of the willing" to ensure Ukraine's defense, and Kyiv signalled openness to direct negotiations with Moscow.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
