European leaders rush to us to help Ukraine avoid “surrender”

European leaders may have rushed to Washington outwardly to throw a protective arm around President Zelinski and get rid of any repetition of an oval office in February.

But their real goal is to prevent US President Donald Trump from threatening European security in the long run after its sudden change in the best way to end the war in Ukraine.

Not only did Trump’s invitation to a ceasefire as a prerequisite for talks on long -term peace, says diplomats – he explained that he has no intention to impose more economic sanctions on Russia.

In short, European heads of the European Union – as well as European Union leaders and NATO – want to avoid not only confrontation, but also surrender.

President Macron of France was the latest to use the word C, saying on Sunday: “There is only one country that suggests peace that would be a surrender: Russia.”

It takes a lot of government presidents to raise their schedules in a short notice – especially in August – when some are on vacation.

The French leader was enjoying water sports on the Riviera. The Italian leader, Georgia Meloni, was in Greece.

But this was the size of President Trump’s change in a strategy after President Putin’s interview – and the consequent possible threat to Europe – that European leaders quickly changed their plans.

Officials say Meloni was the first to call herself, followed by Macron, after which it became possible for others to go as well.

Leaders spent weekends working on phones, with at least five separate group conversations.

Their anxiety Trump’s decision to change diplomatic goals sites After interviewing the Russian leader in Alaska.

Some officials believe that the tremendous influence of these two decisions-who canceled the months of the Western strategy-was less than the price. Both movements have been closely transferred the United States’ position in favor of Russia.

“Things have moved greatly and very quickly to a schedule that no one expected,” said one of the European officials.

“The United States believes that this is a moment to hit while iron is hot. Our question is what we are trying to achieve here?”

They added: “The European position long ago was that Putin needed to show a real desire to circumvent a table and stop the war, and this would involve a ceasefire. But since Friday, we have moved from that. The question now is how we can get out of the day without a bombing.

Diplomats say that the goal of European leaders is to convert thinking in the White House into two issues.

First, the idea that peace can be simply achieved by Ukraine to give up Donbas to Russia. Two, this is not only related to the future of Ukraine.

“This is mainly about the security of our continent,” said one of the British diplomats.

In other words, any discussion about security guarantees – as part of the final deal – will be about guaranteeing the broader security in Europe and not only Ukraine.

This means persuading Trump with two things: one, that questions about land and security guarantees cannot be separated, and two, security guarantees should be more than oral or textual promises.

American negotiators have spoken of Ukraine giving until now unlimited NATO assurances that the West will come to help Kiev against the Russian aggression in the future.

“No one is clear what Trump means a security guarantee,” said one of the officials.

“He believes that he simply says Putin” Don’t attack, “this is not good enough for Ukraine or the United States.”

It is expected that the Europeans will argue, instead, that the security of Ukraine will not be guaranteed only by allowing its army to stay strong, with long -term military and financial support.

This would include the American weapons that the Europeans and the talented bought to Ukraine, in addition to Ukraine’s arrival to the American intelligence.

By definition, all of this would exclude Russian demands to connect Ukraine.

The danger of Europeans today is that they are pushing Trump strongly, and that he believes he is being intimidated, and that meetings are going badly.

The European delegation was thrown together at the last minute.

It is – one of the officials – “very impractical”, while others differ in the amount of what Europe must adhere to the future security of Ukraine.

What role that the power of “reassurance” may play in the future in the post -conflict Ukraine is still unclear.

So the European goal today may be slowing down and talking about SWAP deals that should actually be part of the end of the negotiations.

For some, this will be the launch of the cart before the horse.

Instead, European leaders may search for progress at a potential triple summit with Trump, Zelinski and Putin; Sculpture is one of the extensive principles of any future deal; And how to hold talks on talks, the site and framework of any negotiations decided.

And above all, whether this can only happen when the ceasefire was agreed.