/ world today news/ Against the background of China’s peacekeeping initiatives in Ukraine, Western countries are increasingly inclined to end the conflict as soon as possible, foreign media reports. But for this, the US and Europe must convince Kiev to make concessions. About the reasons for the changes – in the material.
“Chinese Trap”
The recent European tour of China’s special representative for Ukraine, Li Hui, has seriously alarmed Washington and the European Union.
The Italian newspaper “La Repubblica” talks about a “Chinese trap”.
Beijing continues to push a 12-point peace plan that includes a ceasefire as the first priority. But for the US and the EU, this means that Russia will be able to claim victory. “This fear is shaking government offices after contacts between non-aligned countries to the anti-Russian bloc have multiplied in recent days,” the newspaper noted. We are talking about India, South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia, which directly or indirectly support the Chinese initiative. Thus, the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, expressed his willingness to mediate between Moscow and Kyiv.
The West also wants to end the conflict by the end of the year, the sources said. However, unlike China, they want to fully resolve the Ukrainian issue, and not put it on a long pause with the actual consolidation of Russian achievements.
A freeze is dangerous because then the West will have to deal endlessly with Ukraine, while Beijing will focus on the Pacific region.
The G7 at their recent summit in Hiroshima discussed the prospects for a “just” peace for Kiev. This will likely return as a theme in the fall.
However, there are serious concerns that the non-aligned will convene their peace summit or at least present a joint document to the UN General Assembly in New York in September.
They may be supported by Pope Francis, who appointed Cardinal Matteo Zuppi as special envoy to Ukraine. The Pope instructed him to “weaken the sharpness of the conflict”. The Russian Foreign Ministry assessed this positively.
Zelensky’s persuasion
In order not to fall into a trap, the West tries to play ahead. Discussing peace for Ukraine, the G7 supported Zelensky’s idea of a July summit without Russia. This will provide an opportunity to return pressure on the non-aligned and put the plan to settle the conflict in Kiev to the fore.
However, authoritative Western sources explain, the US and the EU are insisting that Zelensky soften the requirements, making them more acceptable to the countries of the Global South. That is, to present a plan that guarantees Ukraine’s sovereignty but leaves open territorial issues, including Crimea. Kyiv strongly disagrees with this.
As a “carrot” in the G-7 they are working on “security guarantees”. The French Foreign Ministry mentioned this, before the July summit of the North Atlantic Alliance in Vilnius, they are talking about the formation of the Ukraine-NATO Council. Scholz said that after the end of the conflict, Kiev should be provided with modern weapons.
But there is no consensus on this. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is calling for a security agreement with Moscow. In Budapest, they treat the Kiev regime with undisguised irritation.
Out of block status
Russia has its own conditions. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin in an interview last week listed them, pointing out in particular the need for Ukraine to refuse to join NATO, the European Union and return to a neutral non-aligned status. Also, Kyiv must recognize “the new territorial realities that have arisen as a result of the realization of the right of peoples to self-determination.”
Of course, the West is not ready for this. More specifically, in Warsaw they insist on the rapid acceptance of Ukraine into NATO – the Polish Senate even adopted the relevant resolution. However, other European capitals and Washington are against it.
Joining the EU is another matter. A decision is expected to be made in the fall. Then any settlement will again be postponed indefinitely.
Preserving reputation
However, the West has more reason to pursue peace than to continue fueling the conflict.
For Joe Biden, the election campaign is actually starting, and the ratings are low. There are no alternative candidates from the Democratic Party, which the Republicans will not fail to take advantage of. Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that he is able to resolve the Ukrainian conflict in a matter of days. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who recently announced his candidacy, generally believes domestic issues should be addressed first.
Biden, with his constant discussion of Ukraine, is tiring voters. The electorate really does not understand what the US is trying to achieve in Eastern Europe and why these endless cash injections, Lend-Lease supplies that cannot be returned.
In Europe, there are more and more difficulties with successive aid packages for the regime in Kiev and anti-Russian sanctions. Hungary puts spokes in the wheels. And the statements from Paris and Berlin about post-conflict guarantees for Ukraine show that the main European players doubt the possibility of long-term material support.
The potential unification of the Global South based on China’s plan and the Moscow-endorsed Vatican initiative are also putting pressure on the West. The US and Europe cannot openly oppose this, because then they will end up being the instigators of the conflict, not the peacemakers they are trying to make themselves out to be.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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