Shove Trump aside, Europe and turn the tables on Putin

The US president is a Russian ally trying to force surrender on Ukraine; Europe can and must stop him

- Sam Kiley

There is no reason why Ukraine should entertain a Russian-American proposal that will not bring peace to the country – because there is no answer as to how the US could impose it.

Indeed, now is the time to ditch the White House altogether and for Europe - dismissed by the US president as “weak” – to take the lead. Much is being made of how Ukraine is refusing to give up the land in the Donbas, eastern Ukraine, which remains under its control.

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy sent to talks with the Kremlin - dubbed “Dim Philby” by the British intelligence community for his witless pro-Russian bent - may not understand that doing so would mean Ukraine hands over its most potent line of defence.

He would not comprehend why else it might be a terrible idea. Donald Trump would neither grasp the implications of the concept nor, if he did, would he disapprove.

Put simply, handing over Ukrainian territory is forbidden under the nation’s constitution. Any attempt to do so would cause political meltdown, deep divisions, and threaten to collapse the Kyiv administration.

That is exactly what Russia wants while it uses any peace plan or ceasefire period to rearm and reset for further invasion of Ukraine, or picks another target in the east of Europe.

Witkoff and Trump see Ukraine as a business opportunity. The US administration is now so infected with this nonsense that its own staff, including the president, posts on social media that it also sees Europe as a problem - not Russia.