Trump had promised during his presidential campaign to end the conflict in 24 hours after assuming office. In reality, it has turned out to be a far more complicated issue than he expected because of the totally diverse conditions laid out by the parties involved.
The Biden administration had repeatedly rejected ceasefire and peace talks because its goal was to weaken, and ultimately defeat, Russia. The European Union had been parroting the same rhetoric in the recent past. But once Trump took office, EU politicians, too, started talking about a ceasefire and putting an end to the conflict, in order to please Trump.
The ceasefire conditions that are acceptable to Trump and the EU leaders are also quite different. Many Europeans believe that the conditions laid out by Trump mean Russia will emerge the winner. That’s why when Trump, Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth all ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine, no EU leaders were willing to accept that scenario, at least publicly.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 