Ukraine Ceasefire Proposal: Europe Must Unite to Pressure U.S. to Continue Its Support

Editorial

14:00 JST, March 4, 2025

If the United States withdraws its support for Ukraine, Kyiv will lose the means to fight back and will be unable to stop Moscow’s aggression.

Europe must unite and play an important role in calling on the United States to maintain its involvement.

Sixteen countries, including European nations, have held a summit in London, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy participating.

A meeting that took place between U.S. President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy two days before the summit broke down after a fiery exchange of words. As a result, it has become an urgent matter to mend relations between the United States and Ukraine.

The leaders at the summit agreed that U.S. cooperation is essential for a ceasefire. Britain, France and Ukraine have said they will put together a European ceasefire proposal and present it to the United States.

A four-point agreement announced by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after the summit included the dispatch of a peacekeeping force to Ukraine by a “coalition of the willing” to prevent renewed aggression by Russia after a ceasefire takes place.

This measure is likely aimed at persuading the United States not to stop or reduce its support for Ukraine by showing European countries’ intention to take an even more proactive approach to the security of Ukraine and Europe as a whole.

The United States is the largest country to support Ukraine. In addition to providing weapons, it has also provided Ukraine with intelligence on such matters as the deployment of Russian forces, which it has gathered using satellites.

A satellite telecommunication network used by the Ukrainian military is provided by businessman Elon Musk, who is a close aide to Trump.

Opinion is growing in the United States that such support for Ukraine should be suspended after the breakdown of the Trump-Zelenskyy talks. There are also calls for Zelenskyy to resign, as he has criticized Trump for negotiating a ceasefire with Russian President Vladimir Putin without the involvement of Ukraine.

However, such moves would be exactly what Putin wants. If the Russian president succeeds in separating the United States from the European camp, Russia will be able to establish its military superiority. This is because the isolation of Zelenskyy and the spread of political turmoil in Europe would also work to Russia’s advantage.

If Trump were to stop supporting Ukraine, he would be leaving a huge stain on history as the U.S. president who rewarded Russia for launching aggression against another country in violation of international law.

It is not sufficient for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to have said during a Diet session that Japan “has no intention of taking either side” with regard to the U.S.-Ukraine summit. Japan should join with Europe in speaking out and urging the United States to reconsider, and it should also strengthen its support, including economically.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 4, 2025)