Wall Street Journal: What does peace look like in Ukraine?
The Wall Street Journal opens an analytical article by its editorial board, noting that US foreign policy under US President Donald Trump is driven by his personal instincts and tactical impulses, offering an example of this in what it describes as “his sudden shift in his position on Russia and Ukraine”.
The WSJ adds that it’s not yet possible to ascertain whether this change in the US position represents a step toward peace or merely an attempt at appeasement, noting that Trump himself appears not entirely certain of this.
The WSJ noted a clear discrepancy between the official rhetoric at the start of the Alaska summit and the outcomes that emerged at its conclusion.
Trump began the summit promising “serious consequences” if a ceasefire agreement was not reached, but left the summit having “abandoned” the ceasefire condition without imposing any sanctions.
While the WSJ considers Putin’s promises “worse than worthless,” noting that he has repeatedly “broken” his commitments to Ukraine and the West, it considered Trump’s announcement to European leaders that Putin had agreed to provide “security guarantees” to Ukraine, with the possibility that the United States would be among the guarantors, a positive sign, even though this would be outside the NATO framework.
The article concludes by pointing to Trump’s ambition to become a peacemaker, asking, “What is the price of this peace?” and warning that adversaries such as Russia and China could exploit this pursuit for strategic gains.
