The prospect of a diplomatic breakthrough in the war in Ukraine has been dashed following a high-profile but fruitless meeting in Moscow between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The five-hour talks, which also involved Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, concluded with a blunt statement from the Kremlin that the parties are 'no closer to resolving the crisis in Ukraine'.
A Mission Doomed from the Start
International hopes had been tentatively pinned on the visit by Witkoff, a figure whose diplomatic credentials have long been questioned in Western intelligence circles. Critics have labelled him 'Steve Witless' and, more recently, 'Dim Philby', suggesting a naivety about whose interests he ultimately serves. His approach in Moscow did little to dispel this view; he used a Kremlin translator, took no notes, and later emerged from the meeting with the former KGB officer brimming with admiration.
Witkoff has previously described Putin in glowing terms, calling him a 'great guy' and 'super smart' in a televised interview—descriptions that ring hollow for the families of Putin's dead critics and the victims of Russia's brutal campaign in Ukraine's Donbas region. The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for Putin's arrest for alleged war crimes.
Putin's Strategic Rejection and Trump's Leverage
In a move that surprised few observers, the Russian leader rejected the latest version of a ceasefire plan painstakingly worked out by Ukraine and European leaders. Instead, Putin insisted on reverting to an earlier version negotiated in secret by his envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, who also acted as Witkoff's escort in Moscow. This preference underscores a strategy of bypassing established European diplomacy.
The Trump administration's role as a lead negotiator has baffled NATO allies, who largely view Russia as a clear and present danger. Yet, as the article notes, no European leader has publicly stated the obvious: Trump is not an honest broker for Ukraine—he is on the wrong side. The US position, articulated by both Trump and Witkoff, mirrors Putin's core demand that Ukraine must withdraw from its current front lines and abandon prepared defences before any substantive talks can begin.
Further pressure has been applied by the threat from Trump's administration to cut off vital US intelligence feeds to Kyiv if Ukraine does not capitulate to Russian demands.
Europe's Red Alert and the Path Forward
While the US diplomacy flounders, Europe is mobilising. France and Germany are urgently trying to bolster troop numbers, and Poland is expanding its citizen army. The continent is on a near war footing, recognising the direct threat posed by Russia. European leaders, with the exception of Hungary and Slovakia, are united in this assessment.
The analysis concludes that the chaotic diplomacy, which aligns with Russia's Gerasimov doctrine of weaponising disorder in an adversary's ranks, must end. The article argues that Europe, as Ukraine's primary source of military and financial aid, must now 'elbow the US aside' and take definitive control of negotiations. A final break in the transatlantic approach over Ukraine could restore coherent Western strategy and deny Putin the chaos he exploits. As Donald Trump has repeatedly said, Russia is Europe's problem. The implication is clear: Europe must now act like it.
