In the wake of Donald Trump’s US presidential election victory, the discussion in Washington, European capitals, and Kyiv has sharply turned toward the possibility of a negotiated solution to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. At the same time, serious concerns remain over Trump’s long history of mixed messaging on Ukraine, leading to widespread fears that he could seek to broker a Kremlin-friendly peace deal.
Ukrainian officials understand that the current uncertainty about future international support could be seen by Moscow as a sign of weakening Western resolve. With this in mind, they are understandably eager to avoid any indications of growing divisions among Ukraine’s partners. There was therefore considerable disquiet in Kyiv last week over German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s controversial decision to hold a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time in around two years.
The call itself produced few real surprises. Putin took the opportunity to repeat the unchanged goals of his invasion and stress that the terms of any potential settlement must reflect the “new territorial realities” in Ukraine. From a Ukrainian perspective, however, the real story was the fact that the conversation between Scholz and Putin took place at all.
Voice of Ukraine 