A last dinner with European leaders before Donald Trump’s arrival at the White House. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wanted it before the summit of heads of government in Brussels, to once again test the support for Kiev from European leaders. Zelensky is extremely worried about the new course the war with Russia could take once the US president-elect comes to power. The Republican magnate has already made known his intentions of wanting to distance himself from both the economic and military commitments previously undertaken by Joe Biden and that he will push for mediation with Vladimir Putin.
Arriving at the peace table without Washington’s support and with Russian raids continuing is too risky for Kiev. For the Ukrainian president it is a question of understanding who intends to continue supporting him in Europe and with what means. After having received the authorization to use long-range missiles to hit targets on Russian territory, Zelensky wants to see guaranteed in particular the supply of air defense systems, ammunition and missiles, as well as the provision of training for his soldiers and necessary equipment for Ukrainian troops.
Among the guests at the Brussels dinner there was also Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, one of the EU leaders closest to Trump. For now, Italy continues to officially support Ukraine’s legitimate defense. It is not clear whether from January 20, the day of the inauguration of the US president, this position will remain unchanged or Italy will move closer to that of Viktor Orbán.
Trump’s intentions towards Kiev
With Trump’s re-election to the White House, Kiev needs to understand to what extent European leaders intend to engage with him at a time of particular difficulty on the front with Russia. In an interview with the French newspaper Le ParisienZelensky admitted the impossibility for Ukraine to militarily reconquer Crimea and Donbass. However, the greatest critical issues arise from relations with Washington.
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By the time he takes office at the end of January, Trump has made it known that he will try to reach an agreement to end the war, it is feared regardless of the territorial integrity of the country invaded by Moscow. He also criticized the military policy adopted so far by Biden and other European leaders to openly oppose Vladimir Putin, including the green light for Western missiles inside Russian territory.
The ceasefire proposal of Orbán
So far only Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor has openly sided with Trump Orbánwhich in recent days has asked for a ceasefire for Christmas and insists on mediation with the Kremlin. On 11 December he said he wanted to end Hungary’s presidency of the European Semester with a Christmas ceasefire, but that Zelensky would reject it.
“The peace plan is on the table, you can take it or leave it. It’s very simple. It’s not a complicated, bureaucratic plan. It’s a very simple human plan. Just don’t let thousands of kids die at Christmas, it’s that simple,” he declared Orbán in reference to the ceasefire proposalupon arrival at the pre-summit of the Patriots for Europe, which will be held on 19 December in the European capital.
“And exchange a large amount of POWs. Let them go home to their families for Christmas Day,” he added. The Ukrainian presidency had already denied having received this proposal in recent days. In any case, Budapest’s “humanitarian” justification does not convince Kiev’s other allied leaders. It is no coincidence that the summit with Zelensky was not held within the European Union, where they would have been obliged to also invite Orbánbut in Rutte’s residence, in the broader context of NATO, where it was also possible to involve the United Kingdom.
Zelensky’s dinner at NATO
Three hours. That’s how long the dinner with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in the residence of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on December 18 lasted. Among the guests are the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the Danish Mette Fredriksen and the Polish Andrzej Duda, together with the President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the EU Council Antonio Costa. Britain’s Keir Starmer instead dispatched British Foreign Minister David Lammy.
Italy, which also holds the presidency of the G7, reiterated its support for Ukraine and its legitimate defense, “with the common objective of building a just and lasting peace on the basis of international law and the principles of the Charter of Nations United”, diplomatic sources said. The key demands of the Ukrainian president were leaked from the dinner: the supply of air defense systems, ammunition and missiles, as well as the provision of training and necessary equipment for Ukrainian troops. No big news, but Kiev aims to verify the continuity of support for Ukraine from European allies despite Trump’s arrival.
Macron’s proposal to send peacekeepers to Ukraine
In the morning Zelensky had also met Emmanuel Macron, who had given up the evening summit at NATO because he was headed to Mayotte, the French archipelago hit by cyclones which caused hundreds of victims. The two discussed Macron’s proposal to establish peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, also supported by Poland’s Donald Tusk. The Ukrainian head of state told the press that he shares the idea of his transalpine counterpart, but the Elysée’s proposal appears premature. In order to see the peacekeeping forces at work, we would first need to reach the end of the conflict, as recalled by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who was also present in Brussels in recent days.
Kallas’ push for Ukraine
Kaja Kallas, head of EU diplomacy, responded bluntly to Orbán’s attempts to mediate with Putin. “Western capitals should stop suggesting peace talks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and instead make sure that their promises of security guarantees to Kiev are not empty,” the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy warned in a interview with Financial Times. According to the former president of Estonia, “Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no desire to stop the war.” It is therefore useless to “push Zelensky to speak” when Moscow has no intention of doing so.
She was even clearer when speaking to the press on the sidelines of the EU Council summit on 19 December. ”Any push to negotiate early is a bad deal for Ukraine,” Kallas said. He then recalled that Europe “is the largest supplier of aid” to Ukraine and “will continue to be so”, promising to “work with US allies” after Donald Trump takes office in the White House ”to convince them that helping Ukraine is not charity, but an investment in global security”. Words which, however, risk going unheard in Washington.
