The summit of the European Political Community had, as an extravaganza, the chosen location in Budapest: the largest football stadium in the country, the Puskás, which the Prime Minister has always admired. Viktor Orban. To whom black sheep — as Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama calls him — the one he least admires, or criticizes the most, is the president of a neighboring country, Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskywhom he urges to surrender as soon as possible to end the war. His efforts to achieve this are well known and go beyond his repeated blocking of sanctions against Russia and aid to Ukraine.
Orbán launched an international campaign a few months ago that included a stop at the candidate’s residence Donald Trump. He encouraged him to strike a deal with Putin that sacrifices the cause of the Ukrainian people, with at least a fifth of its territory occupied. Trump, according to his campaign statements, seems – at the very least – willing to accept it. AND Orbán now claims victory. “With the American elections,” he told displaced European journalists, “a chapter has closed.”
There are recent scenes that plunge Ukrainians into pessimism. During his last trip to New York, in September, Zelensky met with Trump in one of his skyscrapers. “I have very good relations with him, just like with President Putin,” said the Republican, with the resistance leader to his right. “I hope ours is better”Zelensky responded, and Trump finished: “Oh, well, it takes two to tango.” » The fact that the tycoon identifies the European leader as “the best businessman in the world”, referring to the billions of dollars with which the United States contributes to Ukraine’s military effort, does not inspire either more confidence.
Trump: “I have a very good relationship with President Putin. »
Zelensky: “I hope we will have better relations with each other.”
Trump: “Oh, I see. “It takes two to tango, you know.”
What a despicable traitor
– Republicans Against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) September 27, 2024
The Ukrainian president, however, is trying to reverse his destiny. “Some have argued for Ukraine to make concessions to Putin.” he said with clear address. “It is unacceptable and suicidal for all of Europe”. Zelensky adopts A constructive atmosphere after the victory on Tuesday of Donald Trump, who will have his hands free from checks and balances during his last term. He was one of the first to congratulate him on the phone. “It’s been a positive and productive conversation,” he explained. “We hope that the United States will become stronger, because it is the United States that Europe needs. And the United States needs a strong Europe. It is the bond between allies that must be valued and cannot be lost.
Zelensky has strong support in this endeavor. Beyond the major European capitals, the new NATO Secretary General, Marc Rutteattempts to convince the next president of the United States that it is in his interest to continue the fight against Russian imperialism, by recalling the importance of the deployment of American troops. Kim Jong Un in Europe.
“This role of North Korea essentially illustrates how China, North Korea, Russia and Iran work together,” said the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, who linked himself to friendship with Trump when they coincided in power. “If Russia succeeded in Ukraine, we would have an emboldened Russia on our border, which would have gained land mass, which would have gained the enormous Ukrainian defense force, but also the capabilities of the Ukrainian people. “This would therefore pose a threat not only to Europe, to the European part of NATO, but also to the United States.”
Zelensky maintains the hope that his victory project, more solid and analyzed in European capitals than what has been reported in the media, as this newspaper has learned, will receive a new reading in Washington. “We must put pressure on Russia for a just peace”he said Thursday. “A just peace will be a shared victory. » The success of his program will depend, in part, on the advisers and collaborators who now surround Trump, in positions of power such as secretary of state, secretary of defense or national security adviser. Opinions are more divided than you might think.
Some Republicans favor a quick resolution that would freeze the conflict, frustrate Ukrainians and bring celebration to the Kremlin. Others are convinced that the path to peace involves going further than the current president in defending Ukraine. Joe Biden. Many critics of the current occupant of the White House regret that his contributions come in a trickle and are excessively limited and conservative, as in the case of the use of long-range missiles. “The United States gives enough to Ukraine not to lose the war,” they often say, “but not enough to win it.”
The Ukrainians, for their part, are waiting for the White House’s next steps to draw conclusions. The general mood, as among Europeanists, is one of concern and skepticism.
