Donald Trump, the guy who used to be president, he’s got a proposal for Ukraine. He’s asking them to recognize that Crimea, which used to be part of Ukraine but got snatched up by Russia, is now Russian territory. And guess what? This proposal is not going over well with European capitals. They’re getting all alarmed and stuff, according to the Financial Times.
So, Trump’s administration is putting this proposal on the table, and it looks like they’re not really interested in negotiating. The terms are all in favor of Russia, like big time. One of the main things they want is for the US to say, “Hey, Russia, Crimea is all yours,” even though it was taken from Ukraine illegally like 11 years ago. The Financial Times is saying that Ukraine might be cool with Russia being in charge as long as they get some security guarantees from the West.
Now, European officials are getting all antsy because they think this proposal could mess things up with London, Berlin, and other places. It might even cause some drama at the NATO summit coming up in June. Jeremy Shapiro, a guy who knows things about US stuff at the European Council on Foreign Relations, says that the Europeans have always been in a tough spot when it comes to standing up to the US. They’ve been trying to avoid a showdown for a while now.
And get this, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he’s not having it. He’s saying, “No way, Russia, you can’t have our stuff.” But then Trump goes on social media, saying Zelenskyy is being a big meanie and ruining the chances for peace. Trump is basically telling Zelenskyy, “You can either have peace or fight for three more years before losing everything.”
So, the Trump administration is pushing this deal that’s all about making Russia happy. They want the US to say Crimea is Russian, block Ukraine from joining NATO, and force Ukraine to give up some land without getting anything in return.
Some EU diplomat is telling the Financial Times that if things don’t work out between Ukraine and Russia, Europe might have to pick a side. And that would be a real bummer. Also, recognizing Crimea as part of Russia could mess up the whole peace thing in Europe. It’s like breaking all the rules that have kept things chill on the continent for a long time.
Another EU diplomat is saying, “Listen, Crimea and NATO are off-limits for us. We can’t just give them away.” So, if the US goes through with this proposal, it could cause some serious drama among NATO leaders and even split up the EU over sanctions or something.
Basically, things are heating up, and it’s not looking good for peace or security in Europe. But hey, what do I know? I’m just a new journalist trying to make sense of all this craziness.
