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In an effort to realize a ceasefire amid Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, diplomacy between countries is beginning to intensify.
However, divisions among Western countries have surfaced as European countries have taken a cautious stance against the strong words and behavior of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. The future is fraught with uncertainty.
At the Munich Security Conference, which was attended by Western leaders and ministers, there was heated debate over the agreement between the United States and Russia to begin negotiations for a ceasefire.
In his speech at the conference, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, “Ukraine will never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement.”
Trump, who is keen to start negotiations, discussed the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin without informing Zelenskyy, and they agreed to begin negotiations for a ceasefire.
There is no way Zelenskyy would allow negotiations to proceed without his country’s involvement and for them to end in disadvantageous terms for Ukraine. It is understandable that he tried to keep the United States and Russia in check.
The Trump administration tends to focus on how negotiations will benefit the United States rather than on protecting the international order. For this reason, there is growing anxiety in Europe about U.S.-led negotiations.
At the conference, Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for the Ukraine issue, said Europe will not be a part of the negotiations. The Europeans opposed the comment and said there should not be any negotiations without European involvement.
While the United States’ efforts to promote ceasefire negotiations to stop immediate conflict should be welcomed, the remarks made by senior officials of the U.S. administration are nothing but questionable as they seem to be making concessions to Putin’s assertions.
When Nazi Germany annexed a part of Czechoslovakia in 1938, then British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain agreed to Germany’s claims in an attempt to prevent the escalation of hostilities. The latest development regarding Ukraine is reminiscent of this appeasement policy, which later led to the invasion of Poland by Germany and World War II.
Once a country is allowed to take another country’s territory by force, it will leave behind irreparable roots of evil. It is only natural that Europe should be involved in negotiations for a ceasefire.
At the conference, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya emphasized that if Russia were to emerge as the “victor,” it would “send the wrong message not only to China but to the whole world.”
If China recognizes that Russia’s aggression has been successful, there is a risk that a scenario such as unifying Taiwan by force will become a reality.
In Europe, one idea has surfaced that would send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine after a ceasefire. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed a plan to send troops from the United Kingdom.
The Japanese government should also clearly express its intention to strengthen international solidarity to prevent acts of aggression by force.
