The strategy of European leaders is to pander to and praise US President Donald Trump until he decides he needs to take a tougher stance on the Kremlin. The European side believes this is a win-win approach, write Politico.
In preparation for a possible summit involving Russia and Ukraine, leaders from across Europe held a series of emergency talks on August 19 to weigh their responses and share information gleaned from discussions at the White House the day before.
According to five diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to shed light on the sensitive discussions, the presidents, prime ministers and ambassadors generally supported French President Emmanuel Macron, who believes Putin does not want peace. They expressed deep skepticism that the Kremlin would negotiate in good faith but were optimistic that Washington would punish Russia if Putin proved to be the main obstacle to peace.
"Obviously, if we find ourselves in a situation where Putin proves he doesn't want to end the war, it will force Trump to act and strengthen the case for sanctions," — said a diplomat from one of the countries represented at the virtual meeting of the European Council on Tuesday.
Europeans see U.S. sanctions pressure as critical to the diplomatic process, and many argue that Putin was forced to enter talks with Trump in Alaska only after Washington imposed steep tariffs on India for its purchase of a vital raw material for the Russian economy: oil. The next dramatic step would be to escalate similar sanctions to restrict Russia’s all-important trade with China.
A second diplomat confirmed that allies would be happy to support the American initiative for a ceasefire, not because they necessarily believed it would work, but because “it would be a clear test of Russia’s intentions.” A third said that the security guarantees being developed would help Ukraine “negotiate from a position of strength,” while sanctions would provide “us with leverage over Putin.”
"This is a constant exercise in managing Trump for everyone, including, by the way, Putin," — Fiona Gill, a former adviser to Trump during his first presidential term and now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told the publication.
Western partners have showered Trump with praise, thanking him for organizing the talks and expressing genuine relief after he apparently gave substantial assurances that the country would play its part in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security as part of a peace deal. But behind closed doors, they are more focused on pushing for tough new economic restrictions.
