The President of Ukraine Wołodymyr Zelnski and a delegation of European leaders will enter the White House today in the long shade of the catastrophic Trump-Putin peak in Alaska. What should be a demonstration of US determination looked rather like a geopolitical gift for Moscow.
Donald Trump, instead of confronting Vladimir Putin, seemed to swallow the Kremlin's narrative in full – suggesting the territorial “exchanges” which They would convict over 200,000 Ukrainians for what many describe as “hell on earth”in return for the vaguely formulated security guarantees. This is not a peace plan, it is a poisonous pill. Zelanski rightly brings not only allies with him, but also a great supply of skepticism.
Ukrainians know better than anyone else, as the promises on paper are worthless. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum predicted that Ukraine would renounce the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world in exchange for “security guarantees” from the USA, Great Britain and Russia. These guarantees broke up when Moscow invaded Crimea in 2014, and then in 2022. Each new agreement that turns the territory into poor promises threatens to repeat that betrayal.
The urgent need for peace is undeniable. After more than three years of war, Ukraine is exhausted on a full -scale. Almost every family knows someone who died or was wounded. The burden of society, economy and potential investments is huge. Ukrainians desperately want to end the war. However, there are red lines: the devotion of the sovereign territory of Russia is not peace – this is surrender.
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European leaders also come to Washington with severe burden: guilt. They know that if they provided Ukraine, which she needed at the beginning – tanks, missiles, ammunition – the battlefield could look completely different today. Instead Military assistance was delayed, flowing down for months while Russia was digging up. Sanctions took place according to the same scheme. It took the European Union to adopt the 18th package for over three years. Why were the strictest funds not launched immediately when they could have the maximum effect?
Added to this is a stunning issue of frozen Russian assets. Almost EUR 300 billion [ok. 1,27 bln zł] It lies idly in western capitals – money that could and should now be directed to Ukraine, both at weapons and reconstruction. Why are the European leaders with a refuge? Ukrainians notice this. Russians also.
It is not allowed to build peace on concessions to the war criminal
The stakes are greater than Ukraine itself. As one of the military analysts recently warned, if Europe does not strengthen its defense and not support Ukraine, Russia can be able to attack one of the NATO countries in three years. This is not panicing. This is a sober assessment in what direction this war is going if the agents fail.
PAP/EPA/Sergey Bobylev/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool/Pool
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump during a meeting in Anchorage, August 15, 2025.
Let's not forget about the behavior of Russia in real time. Even when you talk about “peace agreements”, the Kremlin continues terror from heaven. Only in the last 24 hours rocket and drones hit Kharkiv, Zaporozhye and Odessa, killing at least 10 people and hurting dozens of others. These are not a reliable partner to negotiate. These are state crimes that develop thanks to brutality and impunity.
On the side of Zelanski and his European colleagues, the message in Washington must be clear: Ukraine is ready to fight for peace, but not give up for him. Any agreement that rewards aggression or erases sovereign boundaries would be a catastrophic precedent – Not only for Ukraine, but for every nation susceptible to authoritarian neighbors.
EPA / Sergey Dolzhenko / PAP
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President of France Emmanuel Macron, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelnski and Prime Minister of Great Britain Keir Starmer during a press conference. Kyiv, May 10, 2025
Trump can see a quick agreement as a political victory – and as a trampoline to the Nobel Peace Prize. Putin can see them as revenge. But for Ukrainians who have already experienced betrayal as part of the Budapest Memorandum, the cost of another “false room” would be unbearable.
The task of Zelanski today remind the world that a room built on concessions towards a war criminal is not a room at all – there is an invitation to a further war. Europe's task is to face the past and act with unity, speed and determination. Ukraine cannot afford another betrayal. Europe cannot either.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
