Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans does not expect a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia anytime soon, as the US is pushing for. “I do not foresee a result in the very short term”, he said today. US President Donald Trump is threatening to walk away from the talks if an agreement is not reached soon, the Dutch National News Agency ANP reported.
The US proposals for a peace deal would be much more favorable to Moscow than to Kiev. Ukraine would not be allowed to become a member of NATO and would have to give up Crimea, while Russia would be able to keep other captured territories. Trump has also made negative comments about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on several occasions.
According to Brekelmans, it is "fundamentally important" for Europe to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity. According to him, Ukraine must choose for itself what concessions it wants to make. A peace agreement is complicated, he said. Brekelmans also said that the government in Kiev will not be alone and Europe will continue to support it.