Ukraine is counting on U.S. participation in a future peace agreement with Russia, according to Politico
Ukrainian leaders are becoming increasingly convinced that Washington must be involved in any future peace agreement with Russia that would bring an end to the war. At the same time, concerns remain in Kyiv about what position U.S. negotiators will take.
Some members of the Ukrainian leadership believe that U.S. participation could be one of the key paths to ending the war.
In this context, Kyiv views the potential diplomatic efforts of Donald Trump administration officials Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner favorably.
Although the previously promised visit by the U.S. negotiating team to Kyiv has not yet taken place, U.S. representatives have visited Russia on multiple occasions.
At the same time, officials in Kyiv view the possible arrival of American negotiators as one of the most realistic opportunities for reaching an agreement.
At the same time, there is no certainty in Kyiv that the U.S. administration will insist on terms acceptable to Ukraine.
One of the main concerns is that Donald Trump may be interested in a quick diplomatic breakthrough, especially against the backdrop of the problems and failures of U.S. policy in the Middle East.
In particular, Israel’s rejection of the Gaza deal could prompt the White House to seek a foreign policy victory in Ukraine more aggressively.
In such a case, Kyiv fears possible pressure from Washington to force the Ukrainian side to agree to terms close to Moscow’s demands, in order to demonstrate the success of American diplomacy.
At the same time, there are factors that could work in Ukraine’s favor. The course of hostilities and the unfavorable situation for the U.S. in the Middle East could create the conditions for Washington to reconsider its policy toward the Kremlin.
Daniel Fried, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, believes that, among the numerous foreign policy challenges, the Ukrainian issue has one of the best chances of yielding results that would be beneficial to the United States in the near and medium term.
Thus, Kyiv faces a double dilemma: U.S. involvement is necessary for potentially reaching agreements with Russia, but at the same time, Washington’s position could either help Ukraine or put additional pressure on it.
Politico reports on this.
Russia is reportedly ready to return to peace talks aimed at ending the war against Ukraine, but Moscow currently wants to discuss, first and foremost, proposals from the United States.
Ukraine is open to any format of meetings within the framework of negotiations to end the war and continues to coordinate its actions with the U.S. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv is counting on the active participation of U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in diplomatic efforts throughout August.
