US President Donald Trump has said there is going to be “a big, beautiful agreement” on Ukraine which “might involve all of Europe.” Speaking in the Oval Office, he gave no further details on any proposed deal to end the conflict, now in its fifth year.
His remarks followed a rare face-to-face meeting at the White House between representatives from Russia and Ukraine, hosted to recognise first lady Melania Trump’s role in brokering a six-day ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky. Mr Trump said he had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev, but not the Ukrainian officials.
President Hints at Broader Deal
The president declined to give details of the discussions, but indicated the war, triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion, was close to being settled. “There’s going to be an agreement. It’s going to be a big agreement, and it’s going to involve more than Ukraine,” he said.
“It’s going to involve more than Ukraine, and I could even say it might involve all of Europe. It’s going to be a big, beautiful agreement, and everyone’s going to be thrilled.” Mr Trump has been pressuring the Kyiv government led by Volodymyr Zelensky to reach a peace deal with Moscow.
Allies Show Growing Discomfort
Following the crushing electoral defeats in this week’s midterms, which saw the Republicans lose control of Congress, the president is now even more likely to be seeking a settlement he can hold up as a win. There has been growing discomfort among allies at the shift by Washington towards Moscow over its conflict with Kyiv.
This has seen Mr Trump waive sanctions against the Kremlin, decline to blame Russia for starting the war, and call for Mr Zelensky to be replaced, portraying him as an obstacle to peace. The UK Government has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. At the recent G20 meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stressed the need “to secure just and lasting peace in Ukraine”.
British Troops Prepare for Exercise Koalicja
Meanwhile, hundreds of British troops and RAF jets are due to take part in a major multinational wargame in Poland to prepare for potential peace in Ukraine. The UK and France will jointly lead Exercise Koalicja, involving 2,800 military forces from 11 nations, aimed at ensuring Nato forces are ready to provide Ukraine with security guarantees once the conflict is over.
Running from November 9 to 22, it will be the first major military exercise conducted by the Multinational Force Ukraine (MNF-U), the military arm of the Coalition of the Willing. Speaking at the White House event on Thursday, Slovenian-born Mrs Trump urged both sides in the conflict to choose “humanity over war” ahead of talks next week.
“We must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people,” she said. She added: “What matters is not the modesty of this beginning but the determination to turn into something extraordinary.” Both the Russian and Ukrainian delegations presented her with gifts.
