Volodymyr Zelensky has been resisting the Russian army and Vladimir Putin for more than two and a half years, but the traps of American political life in a merciless electoral fight are proving just as perilous. The Ukrainian president, visiting Washington on Thursday, September 26, to try to extract greater commitment from the United States at a particularly difficult moment in the war for kyiv, could not avoid finding himself at the center of the differences between Democrats and Republicans, and even between Republicans, over the war in Ukraine.
This context complicates the task of Mr. Zelensky, who came, after his visit to the United Nations General Assembly, to present his “victory plan” first to President Joe Biden, who received him at the White House, but also to the two candidates in the November 5 presidential election, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
The first assured Ukraine of its support “unshakeable” and took advantage of this meeting to attack the ideas of negotiated peace put forward by Donald Trump's running mate, JD Vance, which she described as “surrender proposal”. Donald Trump was to receive Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, after having criticized him extensively in public.
The stakes of the Ukrainian president's mission to Washington go far beyond the American electoral contests. Ukraine is going through a critical period in the war waged by Russia. Its troops are exhausted, its human losses are bleeding the country dry, the destruction of energy infrastructure is making daily life more and more harsh, and the aid from its Western allies, although crucial, is not massive enough to allow kyiv to gain the upper hand and push Moscow to sit at the negotiating table. Mr. Zelensky obtained from Mr. Biden the release of military aid of nearly 8 billion dollars (7.15 billion euros) which will be very useful, but will not change the situation.
Only way to deter Putin
Mr. Zelensky, who has not publicly revealed the content of his “victory plan”has two priorities: that Mr. Biden gives the green light to the use of long-range Western weapons, to strike deep into Russian territory, which, in Ukrainian calculations, would be likely to influence the course of the war ; and obtain from the American president, before he leaves the White House in January, a formal invitation to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
This second point is crucial. Ukrainian leaders are aware of the weariness of several Western governments, convinced of the merits of aid to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression but hesitant about the means to use and the cost of their support. President Putin's statements on Wednesday on the review of Russian nuclear doctrine aim to maintain their indecision.
But, as much as they want to end this war, the Ukrainians cannot consider concessions without having the assurance that their security will be guaranteed beyond a possible peace agreement. Europeans and Americans all know it: the only real guarantee of security is that offered by Article 5 of the NATO charter, which ensures collective defense in the event of aggression by one of its members.
Mr. Biden has so far resisted taking the step, which is encouraged by members of his team. Some countries, including Germany, are opposed to it. The process will be complicated, but it is the only way to dissuade Vladimir Putin from continuing his European offensive.
Source: Lemonde
