By: Ahmed Fathi
New York: The White House has seen its share of high-stakes diplomacy, but Monday’s gathering carried the weight of a continent’s anxieties and a nation’s survival. President Donald Trump welcomed Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alongside European leaders—including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb—plus EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Europe’s Defiant Unity
The Europeans came determined to project solidarity. Starmer described the talks as “good and constructive,” while Macron reminded that “security guarantees involve the security of the whole European continent.” Merz went further, comparing Russia’s territorial demands to forcing America to cede Florida—an analogy that underscored how absurd it would be to accept such terms. The message was unmistakable: Ukraine is not alone, and Moscow’s conditions cannot serve as a foundation for peace.
Putin’s Demands: Peace or Capitulation?
Behind the formal communiqués, the Kremlin’s position loomed over the summit. Reported proposals include recognition of Crimea as Russian and the cession of Donetsk and Luhansk. These are not genuine peace offers; they are ultimatums. From my vantage point, they are capitulation terms disguised as diplomacy.
Zelenskyy himself was unyielding: “The question of territories is something we will leave between me and Putin.” For him, this is not bravado—it is survival. To concede would not end the war; it would erase Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Between Possibility and Peril
The summit produced no ceasefire, no breakthrough agreement. Still, it sketched out the paths ahead:
- One possibility is that Ukraine secures NATO-like guarantees—anchored by a European-financed package of about $90 billion in U.S. weapons—without ceding territory. That would be a fragile but dignified win.
- Another is that Zelenskyy refuses compromise, Europe stands firm, and the war grinds on, prolonging civilian suffering.
- A third scenario is a ceasefire first—a pause to build trust—but with Russia still striking Ukrainian cities, its credibility remains doubtful.
- And always, in the background, lies the risk of a U.S. pivot. If Washington pares back support, Europe may be forced to shoulder the burden alone at a scale it has long tried to avoid.
The Heart of the Matter
This was not a summit of triumphs or treaties—it was a summit of resolve. Europe stood shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, Washington kept its options open, and Kyiv rejected humiliation dressed up as compromise.
For ordinary Ukrainians, still waking to air raid sirens, this matters only if it brings safety without shame. They are not fighting to trade cities for promises; they are fighting to live with dignity on their own soil.
The White House talks made one thing plain: peace is possible, but only if built on justice, not on capitulation.
Original URL: https://www.amerinews.tv/posts/white-house-summit-europe-unites-ukraine-rejects-capitulation
INPS Japan/ATN