Currently, Volodymyr Zelensky and his entourage have left the United States. By the time this is published, they may have already arrived in the UK. On March 2nd local time, the UK Prime Minister will meet with Zelensky and several European leaders in London to discuss Ukraine's security guarantees.
After the breakdown of the talks at the White House, European officials said: "The White House debacle was an ambush. Europe will come together to pick up the pieces." Some analysts have also stated that Europe must double its support for Ukraine to make up for the loss of US aid. Since 2022, the EU and its member states have provided a total of 138 billion euros in various forms of assistance to Ukraine, accounting for about 0.2% of the EU's GDP. Doubling this to 0.4% is not expected to impose a serious burden on the EU economy.
The failure of the White House talks is generally quite unfavorable for Ukraine. However, it can also be seen as a complete showdown. Ukraine and its supporters have realized the harsh reality, given up unrealistic expectations, and no longer pin their hopes on the US. They will rely on their own strength to continue this war until a truly just outcome and a truly lasting peace are achieved. From this perspective, the failure of the White House talks can also be considered a good thing. Just as with all things, misfortune may be an actual blessing in disguise, and blessings may hide misfortune. Recognizing and accepting the reality earlier is good for everyone.
As for what comes next, it depends on Ukraine and its supporters. The view is that although Russia is very powerful, it may not be invincible. Strategically, it is difficult for any country, including Ukraine, to completely defeat Russia militarily. However, Russia has its own inescapable destiny, and this destiny seems to be accelerating rather than being changed by Trump. This can be seen from the reaction of the Moscow Stock Exchange yesterday. Once Russia's destiny arrives, Ukraine will not only be able to regain all the occupied territories, including Crimea, but also gain additional advantages. The specific situation has been described in previous articles.
Tactically, Ukraine still has much room for action. Russia's military strength has declined significantly, while the military strength of Ukraine and its supporters is constantly rising. Although after the failure of the White House talks, the Kremlin may intensify its military offensive again to force Ukraine to accept an imposed peace, the possibility of such an effort succeeding is very low. The united Ukrainian people cannot be defeated. It may be difficult for Ukraine to regain all the occupied territories now, but it has a good chance of obtaining European security guarantees and forcing the Kremlin to accept relatively fair negotiations. The Kremlin now wants to stop and catch its breath more than Ukraine does, and this will be discussed in a future article.
In short, it may be the most difficult time for Ukraine now, but it is not as difficult as when the war first broke out. On the contrary, after reaching the lowest point, there is nothing to be afraid of because from then on, there is only an upward path. This is the lesson of history and personal experience. After accepting the harshest reality, no one and nothing can defeat you. After passing through the darkest canyon, you will become fearless!