Editorial: Attrition warfare
The calling off was expected in the light of the recent feud between the two leaders which has bruised their personal relations and cast aspersions on the future of US support for Ukraine's war effort.
Less than a week before the world observes the third anniversary of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, a news conference slated to be held following the talks between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and US President Trump's Ukraine envoy was cancelled at the request of US officials. The calling off was expected in the light of the recent feud between the two leaders which has bruised their personal relations and cast aspersions on the future of US support for Ukraine's war effort. Trump had denounced Zelenskyy as a dictator without elections, accusing him of sweet-talking the US into coughing up a whopping $350 bn to fund the war effort against an insurmountable adversary. The Ukrainian leader lamented that the US President was living in a Russian-made disinformation space. The trading of barbs has thrown a spanner in the works of bringing the three year long conflict to an end.
Ironically, the two nations have been staunch allies in recent years under the leadership of Joe Biden. During his tenure, the US provided crucial military equipment to Kyiv to fend off the invasion and used its political weight to defend Ukraine and isolate Russia on the world stage. In a diametric turnaround, the Trump administration has charted a new course, reaching out to Russia and pushing for a peace deal. The Ukrainian leader deflated Trump's tall claims by offering a revised estimate of the US contribution — $67 bn in weapons, and $31.5 bn in budgetary support, while calling out Washington's unrealistic demand for $500 bn in minerals which Kyiv deemed frivolous.
Ukraine is home to vast reserves of critical minerals that are used in the aerospace, defence and nuclear industries. The Trump administration has indicated it is interested in accessing them to reduce dependence on China. However, Zelenskyy had made it clear that any exploitation would need to be tied to security guarantees for Ukraine that would deter future Russian aggression. The US proposal apparently did not take into account how the deposits would be secured in the event of Russia's continued military engagement with Ukraine.
Amidst these developments, European Union envoys approved a new raft of sanctions against Russia, with measures set to enter into force next week. The move is in line with European nations being given the short shrift from US-led talks to end the war. Among the latest sanctions are measures targeting Russia's shadow fleet of ships that it exploits to skirt restrictions on transporting oil and gas, or to carry stolen Ukrainian grain. Some 70 vessels believed to be part of the shadow fleet will be added to more than 50 already listed. European leaders have expressed concern that they weren't invited to the talks between top American and Russian diplomats in Saudi Arabia, amid larger worries that the deal taking shape could be unfavourable to Kyiv.
The hair trigger situation is being compounded by the rhetoric emerging out of America which now believes that NATO membership isn’t a realistic outcome for Ukraine, something that Russia has been parroting for ages together, and which Moscow considers as one of the root causes of the war. Over 20% of Ukrainian territory is now under Russian occupation and the potential outcome of freezing the frontline is not acceptable to Ukraine’s leadership. What’s worse is that a return to the pre-2014 borders is also being seen by the world at large as an illusory goal for Ukraine.
