Picture this: a high-stakes phone call between two of the world’s most controversial leaders, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, discussing the future of Ukraine. The conversation, lasting over an hour, ended with Trump declaring that “we are on the way to peace.” But in the corridors of power across Europe, alarm bells started ringing.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey wasted no time in sending a stark warning: “There can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine.” NATO defence ministers gathered in Brussels, Healey made it clear that while the world wants peace, the idea of deciding Ukraine’s fate without its own say is completely off the table.
Russia’s Threat “Well Beyond Ukraine”
Trump’s comments have thrown the spotlight back onto NATO’s strategy. In his call with Putin, the former US president claimed they had agreed to “work together, very closely” to end the war, a statement that has left many Western leaders uneasy.
Healey, however, was quick to reinforce NATO’s stance. “Our job as defence ministers is to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position for any talks,” he said firmly. “Let’s not forget, Russia remains a threat well beyond Ukraine.”
The US has suggested that any peace deal might involve Ukraine giving up some territory to Russia and abandoning its NATO ambitions. But that idea clashes with NATO’s official position, which remains unchanged: Ukraine’s path to NATO membership is “irreversible.”
Trump’s “Great” Call with Putin, But at What Cost?
In a dramatic video statement, Trump claimed that not only had he spoken to Putin, but he had also been in contact with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, in his own words, he plans to deal “largely” with Putin.
“We all want to see a durable peace,” said Healey, “but that can only happen if Ukraine is given the strength to secure it on its own terms.”
With NATO reaffirming its unwavering support for Kyiv and the UK backing a 100-year partnership with Ukraine, one thing is clear, any “peace deal” that doesn’t put Ukraine’s interests first is bound to meet fierce resistance from the West.
