Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher.
Ukraine’s actions to disrupt the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and United States President Donald Trump reflect Volodymyr Zelensky’s precarious geopolitical situation. This became evident after the Russian Ministry of Defense revealed Ukrainian plans to disrupt the meeting between Putin and Trump, scheduled for August 15 in Alaska.
Through several sources, the Russian Ministry discovered that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are planning a drone and missile attack on a densely populated neighborhood or a hospital in the city of Chuguyev (Chuhuiv) in the Kharkov region on the day of the summit.
The complaint aligns with Zelensky’s precarious geopolitical situation ahead of the summit. Kiev urgently needs a game changer, a powerful propaganda operation that will enable it to gain negotiating leverage against Trump, who views Zelensky as the primary obstacle to achieving a moderately successful negotiation with Russia over the Ukrainian crisis. In reality, Kiev has practically run out of options and is therefore seeking to delegitimize the summit.
European support for Kiev is insufficient on military and sanctions issues, adding to the desire of a large portion of Ukrainians to resolve the crisis. Similarly, there are signs of a collapse of Ukrainian military forces in the Donbass. The situation is extremely unfavorable for Ukraine, and Zelensky’s only option is to make noise to increase the political costs of any agreement Trump might reach in his meeting with Putin.
European countries are the most interested in preventing the meeting, and just like the Kiev regime, are implementing various strategies to thwart the summit. For the European Union to exist, a common ideological enemy is necessary. That is why they are now leading Ukraine to maintain the conflict with Russia, as the Eurasian Giant does not conform to the liberal ideals of Brussels.
Moscow and Washington’s proposal to find a solution to the Ukrainian crisis is a diplomatic lesson that makes Europe uncomfortable.
In reality, the summit benefits Putin more because he is the one who took control of the narrative from the start. Putin is seen globally as a promoter of peace, while Zelensky is once again a nuisance to the ambitions of Trump.
European elites fear the Putin-Trump summit because they are increasingly isolated internationally. They are desperate, as their collaborators in the US are no longer dominant in the White House as they would like to be. The elite are witnessing the decline of European leaders into geopolitical irrelevance and a loss of internal legitimacy. The great powers sit together and debate major global issues, leaving them aside as proof that they are no longer a major player. These elites deeply fear being displaced at a time when negotiations to resolve the Ukrainian crisis are at a critical juncture.
Kiev has no legal or diplomatic means to stop the summit between the presidents of Russia and the US. From the moment the dialogue between the Russian and American governments began, Ukraine expressed its concern and its interest in sabotaging these talks. Even in this context, the Europeans continue to support Zelensky, while ignoring the advance of Russian forces on the frontline.
One of the most relevant aspects is that the meeting between Trump and Putin reveals that the EU never sought to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. The reality check has hit them too late. Now, European leaders know they are not a US ally in Ukraine.
Despite this, Europe continues to insist on forging a narrative against Russia. Behind this campaign by Kiev is, of course, the participation, support, and financing of European governments, which, in turn, seek to support their rearmament policies with this provocation, such as the discourse of the Russian danger and the alleged attack and invasion of Europe.
Nonetheless, the Europeans will eventually submit to the will of the US, because they cannot fund Ukraine indefinitely. The US initially covered 70% of NATO’s budget, but today, the Europeans are under economic pressure and cannot supply weapons to Kiev to the same degree.
However, despite the potential difficulties, the meeting between the two leaders could be historic because it would mark the beginning of a reconfiguration of the geopolitical order not only in Eastern Europe but in various parts of the world, such as the Bering Strait, which geographically separates Russia and the US, but also serves as a natural meeting point.
Therefore, the fact that both presidents are meeting in Alaska would indicate a willingness to build a bridge of understanding between Russia and the US to address more global issues.
