In fresh weeks, there have been more unpleasant surprises almost regular — from Donald Trump and his deputy publically reproving Ukraine's “dictator” in the Oval Office, to condemn the EU for its approach to far-right parties, and then announcement of a fresh tariff wave on aluminium and steel.
In the end, the United States and Ukraine have repaired their damaged relations adequate to hold talks in Saudi Arabia and agree on a plan for a 30-day ceasefire, stopping any fighting along the front lines on land, sea and air. There was only 1 modest condition for Ukraine to introduce a truce: Russia would gotta agree to do the same.
However, erstwhile Trump spoke to Putin again this week.To push for a 30-day truce, the Russian leader successfully declined. Instead, Putin set a number of conditions that seemed impossible, with the promise not to attack "energy infrastructure". Then he immediately started new bombing of Ukrainian cities With hundreds of drones and missiles. From the White House, there was no murmuring of criticism.
The next day Trump spoke to Zelenski as part of a ‘very good telephone call’ which took about an hour. “We are on the right track,” said the president of the United States.
On Thursday, Zelenski informed EU leaders via video connection erstwhile they gathered in Brussels to discuss how they could support Ukraine (and defend themselves), while the United States reduced their commitment to the region's safety that talks with Trump were good.
He then angryly rejected Putin's demands for Ukraine to become neutral and reduce its military potential. "It was a bit of a mess, as we all know," said Ulf Kristersson, Swedish Prime Minister, speaking to journalists at the margins of the Brussels summit.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenski during a press conference attended by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, Oslo, Norway, 20 March 2025.PAP/EP/OLE BERG-RUSTEN / PAP
Europe trapped
The European Council gathering showed how much EU leaders were stuck. Cut off from the actual actions between Trump, Putin and Zelenski, they were trapped in a loop of sometimes curiosive dissipators created by them and conflict for advancement in aid Ukraine or reinforcement of its own armed forces.
The authoritative conclusions of the summit noted the request for an "urgent" increase in self-defence. The leaders besides called for "continue work on appropriate backing options". However, not everyone is convinced of the plans to make a fresh debt programme worth EUR 150 billion (PLN 629 billion) to support EU defence investments in equipment produced in the EU.
Spain clearly wants to redefine "defence" so that it can usage the proposed cash injection to fight rising sea levels and illegal migration. 1 of the Proposal of the EU Head of Diplomacy, Kai Kallas, so that countries voluntarily allocate as much as EUR 40 billion this year (PLN 167 billion 769 million) for military aid to Ukraine, is almost doomed.
Fighting for Fish
The EU debt plan in its current form would regulation out spending the euro on US-produced weapons, but besides on highly valued British products, as Britain is no longer an alliance member. While London is working side by side with Paris to gather peacekeeping forces in Ukraine, any seem to be bureaucratic exaggeration.
In Brussels, officials say the solution is that British Prime Minister Keira Starmer signed a comprehensive defence and safety pact with the EU At the planned summit in May. That's what both sides want. But for any there is another obstacle in the EU: according to diplomats from any coastal countries, This agreement must besides include fresh arrangements for issues specified as fishing rights.
Thus, future European defence cooperation can be halted by a classical brexit fish dispute.
Further string of article under video material
Not ‘when’, but ‘if’
In private terms, diplomats and officials reported that a fresh and dreary sense of “realism” appeared in Brussels this week. Europeans now realize that they will never be part of the peace talks Trump is reasoning of, and it seems that they will not be able to replace the support that America has given Kiev in military aid, no substance what Kallas wants.
As Kristersson, Swedish leader, said: It is clear that the EU is not the best in terms of defence. He suggested that it could be a wider Europe.
United Kingdom Keir Starmer met with military planners who are working to make possible military forces from countries specified as Britain and France to aid warrant future peace before the Russian attack. However, even he did not sound sure, repeatedly viewing his comments with the words "if he comes to an agreement".
“We hope that there will be an agreement,” said Starmer. “But I know that if it comes to an agreement, the time for planning is now. Not after reaching an agreement. I am well aware that an agreement can take place in stages,” he explained.
French president Emmanuel Macron will again call the leaders next week to the final summit of the "voluntary coalition", in case 1 day peace forces are needed. Meanwhile, in Washington, Trump remains calm while Putin continues to bomb Ukraine.
