President Volodymyr Zelensky met the press after meeting American officials in Switzerland over the weekend. He said the talks were positive in many respects. However, there was still that enormous problem that kept happening. According to Russia, Ukraine has to officially give to Russia some parts of eastern Ukraine that were occupied by Russian troops during the war. Zelensky stated that he is not doing it. In his view, handing over the stolen land to Russia would be like giving a signal to other countries that they can invade their neighbours and keep what they have taken.
The Weekend Meeting in Geneva
On Sunday, officials from Ukraine and the United States gathered together in Geneva. They were together for several hours discussing how to end the war with Russia. As they concluded their meeting, both sides reported to reporters that real steps forward had been made. They promised to continue talking and work on a plan.
Russia sent nobody to that meeting. The Kremlin, the Russian government headquarters in Moscow, said nobody told them what happened in Geneva. A
A Russian spokesperson said they heard that some parts of an older peace plan had changed. That older plan came out last October. American and Russian officials put it together. Most people thought it gave Russia too much of what it wanted. It made Ukraine and the European countries pretty angry.
Why Land Matters So Much
The biggest fight is over Ukrainian territory. Zelensky has essentially repeated himself many times: Russia invaded Ukraine and stole territory by force of arms. Ukraine should not be the one to hand over that land as a bargain for peace. He is concerned that nations could start invading others just because they witness that Russia is still holding on to the territory it took without permission.
The Russian side claims that Ukraine should give up the whole Donbas area, which is a very large part of the east of Ukraine. These are the regions where Russian troops moved in after the war escalated in 2022. The leader of Ukraine and their partners in Europe view an agreement that involves handing over the land as not right from the moral point of view. Zelensky said that in case they lose Donbas, it will only make it easier for Russia to return and attack in a few years.
What Happens Now
Marco Rubio, America’s top diplomat, says the Geneva talks went well and he thinks everyone will reach a deal soon. Leaders in Europe aren’t so sure. Donald Tusk runs Poland. He says he can’t tell if peace is actually getting closer. The leader of Germany said these talks would drag on for months. He didn’t think anything major would happen this week.
President Trump said in a web post that maybe something good is coming. But he also tempered expectations. Everybody believes that in a pretty short period of time, Zelensky and Trump are going to have a direct conversation. They would discuss the most difficult issues, on which nobody can agree. After they talk, someone might show a new peace plan to Russia. The Kremlin said Russian and American negotiators won’t meet this week.
The NATO Issue
In addition to the dispute over territory, there is another major problem: Russia asserts that Ukraine should never be a member of NATO, the alliance of Western countries that have committed to mutual defence. However, this is something that Ukraine desires very much. The Ukrainian authorities consider it the only way to prevent Russia from attacking again. So much so that Ukraine altered its constitution to state that joining NATO is a national priority.
Three European countries wrote a peace plan of their own. It was a joint effort of Britain, France, and Germany. Their version does not allow Russia to retain any Ukrainian territory. It provides for Ukraine to beef up its army. Britain’s leader Keir Starmer said there’s lots more work to do before Ukraine gets real peace. Countries supporting Ukraine will have an online meeting on Tuesday. They will talk about what should happen next.
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