Echoes of Yalta Alarm Kyiv and Brussels
Russia’s president is luring Washington and Beijing to the same table — without Ukraine. It is a foolish relapse into old great-power hubris.
U.S. President Donald Trump must not allow himself to become complicit in redrawing Europe’s map at the expense of Europeans. This is precisely the danger inherent in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to meet with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen this November to discuss Ukraine — without involving the Ukrainians.
While holding a trilateral summit would not, in itself, amount to a betrayal, reaching an agreement over the heads of the parties concerned certainly would. Putin wants to shake off the weight of international condemnation and see Russia recognized as a great power of equal standing to the United States. And Xi need only look on as the West tears itself apart. Trump is obsessed with the idea of going down in history as a great dealmaker. Meanwhile, others are paying the price for his legacy project.
There are echoes of the Yalta Conference of 1945, when major powers sought to determine Europe’s future security order without affording equal representation to the affected nations. History does not repeat itself. Yet the desire to carve up territory and spheres of influence between powerful players has an alarmingly familiar ring.
Putin has not put forward any kind of peace proposal that would protect Ukrainian sovereignty. Rather, he is demanding subordination and influence over a neighbor, as well as a weakened NATO. If Trump were to dignify these demands with a photograph of all three leaders on the diplomatic stage, it would allow the Kremlin to pull off something it has failed to achieve by military means: the right to have an equal say in Europe’s future.
Trump, whose domestic political ratings have waned, faces an essential choice: Will he defend the Ukrainians’ right to determine their own future, or will he let himself be drawn into Putin’s geopolitical power game? Anyone who wants to talk about peace must bring Kyiv and Brussels to the negotiating table. Otherwise, any deal reached will amount not to peace but to extortion sealed with a handshake.
U.S. President Donald Trump must not allow himself to become complicit in redrawing Europe’s map at the expense of Europeans. This is precisely the danger inherent in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to meet with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen this November to discuss Ukraine — without involving the Ukrainians.
While holding a trilateral summit would not, in itself, amount to a betrayal, reaching an agreement over the heads of the parties concerned certainly would. Putin wants to shake off the weight of international condemnation and see Russia recognized as a great power of equal standing to the United States. And Xi need only look on as the West tears itself apart. Trump is obsessed with the idea of going down in history as a great dealmaker. Meanwhile, others are paying the price for his legacy project.
There are echoes of the Yalta Conference of 1945, when major powers sought to determine Europe’s future security order without affording equal representation to the affected nations. History does not repeat itself. Yet the desire to carve up territory and spheres of influence between powerful players has an alarmingly familiar ring.
Putin has not put forward any kind of peace proposal that would protect Ukrainian sovereignty. Rather, he is demanding subordination and influence over a neighbor, as well as a weakened NATO. If Trump were to dignify these demands with a photograph of all three leaders on the diplomatic stage, it would allow the Kremlin to pull off something it has failed to achieve by military means: the right to have an equal say in Europe’s future.
Trump, whose domestic political ratings have waned, faces an essential choice: Will he defend the Ukrainians’ right to determine their own future, or will he let himself be drawn into Putin’s geopolitical power game? Anyone who wants to talk about peace must bring Kyiv and Brussels to the negotiating table. Otherwise, any deal reached will amount not to peace but to extortion sealed with a handshake.
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