Geneva deals salvage relations with United States but may prove short-lived – The Economist
The agreements reached by the Ukrainian and U.S. delegations in Geneva are salvaging relations with the United States, but they may prove short-lived.
The Economist writes this, Censor.NET reports.
"Ukraine survives yet another crisis with Trump," the headline reads.
The piece says Ukraine has lived through one of the bleakest periods in its history. Its front line is buckling; a corruption scandal is raging at home; and its U.S. ally has issued an ultimatum to sign a peace deal favorable to Russia.
"Now a dawn may be breaking," the magazine notes, referring to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
After the Geneva talks, Rubio announced progress in the Trump administration’s efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The U.S. secretary of state noted that any deal reached in Geneva must be approved by both President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. leader Donald Trump. That could happen at a meeting in Washington.
"All this is strikingly different from the ominous meeting in Kyiv just three days earlier, when Dan Driscoll, the Pentagon’s defense secretary, presented Mr. Zelenskyy with a 28-point plan so one-sided it looked like a Russian wish list mixed with an economic tribute to Trump," the article says.
The Economist writes that it is still unclear how many of the plan’s original points were dropped during the Geneva talks, but that "considerable damage has already been done."
The plan, the authors say, would complicate EU steps to confiscate frozen Russian assets. It has also exposed the confusion, rivalry and incompetence that prevail in the Trump administration.
The journalists note that Witkoff once again looks like a puppet, while U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is cast as the force seeking to undermine relations between Ukraine and America.
"In February, he (Vance - ed.) provoked a televised row between Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelenskyy in the White House. This time he pushed an openly pro-Russian plan. It was Mr. Vance who called Mr. Zelenskyy to lay out its terms; and it was Mr. Driscoll, Mr. Vance’s college friend, who personally delivered the message," the magazine writes.
Rubio, by contrast, is trying to steer the situation back onto a constructive track by reaching an agreement with the Ukrainians.
"As for Mr. Trump, he once again revealed his latent bias: sympathy for Russia and indifference toward Ukraine," the piece adds.
Even if Trump approves a more Ukraine-friendly deal, it will almost certainly be blocked by Russia. Any agreement acceptable to Moscow would, in turn, be rejected by Ukraine. All of this could lead to a new crisis, the article concludes.
Background
- On Sunday, 23 November, Ukrainian and U.S. delegations began talks in Geneva on a peace plan to end Russia’s war against Ukraine
- Earlier, it was reported that the Ukrainian delegation had already held meetings with EU advisers in Geneva.
- Later, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported initial results of the Geneva talks involving delegations from the United States, Ukraine, the EU and Britain on the U.S. plan to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
- NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov reported that the current version of the US peace plan to end Russia's war against Ukraine is in the final stage of coordination and already reflects most of Ukraine’s key priorities.
- Following the talks in Geneva on Sunday, 23 November, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the Washington team would make "some changes" to the American peace plan.
