Europe is trying to take the lead in efforts to end the war in Ukraine as U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday cut off all military aid to Kiev. As VOA correspondent Anita Powell reports, recent developments, especially after the heated debate at the White House last week, have caught the attention of major capitals in almost every corner of the world.
Concerns over Ukraine have increased in Europe, while the world deals with the consequences of the meeting held last week at the White House, reports A2.
A heated argument between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has stalled a deal on Ukrainian rare earth minerals. President Trump says the deal is essential to continued U.S. support for Kiev.
On Monday, the president said that if Ukraine wants to survive, President Zelensky must be ready for peace.
"We have to make a deal and it can be done very quickly. I believe that Russia wants to make a deal. I believe that the people of Ukraine want to make a deal," President Trump said.
President Trump also reacted sharply on the social network 'Truth' against President Zelensky's statement that the war could go on much longer. Russia began its aggression in Ukraine in 2022.
Analysts say they cannot predict President Trump's next move regarding the agreement that appears to be the key to this situation.
Anna Borshchevskaya Washington Institute for Near East Policy
"It's still unclear what Mr. Trump's plan really is. What we saw over the weekend is that Europe is doing more to deter Russia," says Anna Borshchevskaya of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
President Zelensky left the White House on Friday and flew across the Atlantic to attend a meeting with mainly European allies.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed him warmly in London on Monday, reiterating Britain's plan to send peacekeepers and allocating $2 billion for 5,000 air defense missiles for Ukraine.
"It is true that Europe must do more to support peace on our continent. However, to succeed, this effort must also have the strong support of the United States," Prime Minister Starmer said during a speech in the British Parliament.
However, the leaders of the two warring countries repeated their messages, showing how far along they are in this conflict that has blocked Europe for three years.
"I think American support will continue, because the failure of Ukraine is not only Putin's success, it is a failure of Europe, it is a failure of the United States of America. I think we are all interested in not giving Putin a chance to win," said President Zelensky.
"They want the war to continue. Therefore, in this situation, of course, Washington's efforts and Moscow's readiness alone will not be enough, a decisive element is missing," said Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian presidency.
Meanwhile, Beijing also expressed its desire for an end to the war.
"China is not a party to the crisis in Ukraine, but we support all efforts that help achieve a peaceful solution. We hope that all parties concerned can find a lasting solution that addresses each other's concerns," said Lin Jian, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry.
The White House confirmed to VOA that it has increased the pressure, saying the Trump administration is "pausing and reviewing our assistance (to Ukraine) to ensure it is contributing to a resolution."
President Trump also warned of an upcoming important announcement on Ukraine.
"I'm going to give a speech. You probably heard about Tuesday's speech," he said.
President Trump will deliver a speech before both houses of Congress on Tuesday evening, Washington time./ Voice of America (A2 Televizion)
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