The Guardian view on Russia-Ukraine talks: a performance for the US president | Editorial

The first nonstop talks betwixt Russia and Ukraine for 3 years should person been a momentous occasion. Since 2022, Russian warfare crimes person lone deepened the chasm betwixt them. Yet Donald Trump, who demanded this meeting, underlined that it was mostly a charade erstwhile helium told reporters: “Nothing’s going to hap until Putin and I get together.” It made plain that Russia felt nary unit to cooperate.

While hard negotiations often statesman connected easier terrain, the statement of a wide captive swap looked similar a discrete achievement. The existent value of the Istanbul talks laic little successful their substance than the messages sent by their beingness and attendance list.

The hasty connection for nonstop talks was Vladimir Putin’s flight way aft European leaders demanded Russia hold to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, oregon look accrued sanctions and weapons transfers. Ukraine and its backers said determination should beryllium nary meetings without a ceasefire, but Kyiv was forced to concede erstwhile Mr Trump insisted it participate. Painful acquisition has taught it that it does not wage to defy the US president.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy turned the Russian president’s connection backmost connected him by challenging him to be the talks personally, vowing to hold for him successful Turkey. This was, said a Ukrainian official, “a theatre show for conscionable 1 assemblage member”, reinforcing the connection that Mr Putin is the obstacle to peace.

Mr Putin snubbed the meeting. Russia was represented by the nationalist ideologue Vladimir Medinsky and Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin, a seasoned subject serviceman and diplomat who reportedly told Ukrainians successful the past talks that if they refused to capitulate, “We volition support sidesplitting and slaughtering you.” Moscow’s attack did not look overmuch much diplomatic this time: Ukraine said that Russia voiced “unacceptable” things.

Mr Zelenskyy was deft successful portraying the Russian leader’s non-attendance arsenic “disrespect for Trump”. There is grounds of immoderate vexation with Moscow successful Washington. JD Vance said precocious that it was “asking for excessively much”, and Mr Trump had antecedently suggested helium was “very angry, pissed off” with Mr Putin. Lindsey Graham, a cardinal Trump ally, says helium has capable senatorial enactment to walk “devastating” caller sanctions. But helium described his measure arsenic portion of the president’s arsenal, and Mr Trump is improbable to unleash it. That said, Mr Putin volition request to guarantee helium does not overplay his hand, fixed Mr Trump’s unpredictability. And portion Mr Putin whitethorn deliberation spinning retired the struggle is presently successful Russia’s interests, the warfare is not cost‑free for his country.

The caller dizzying communicative twists person revealed greater coordination and resoluteness connected Europe’s part. (Germany this week announced that it would deed Mr Trump’s request for defence spending to scope 5% of GDP by 2032, albeit by including related infrastructure.) But US arms volition tally retired agelong earlier Europe is afloat acceptable to measurement into the breach. The cardinal question surely remains not whether the US president tin beryllium coaxed and flattered into being much helpful, but whether helium tin beryllium dissuaded from becoming actively obstructive – cutting disconnected quality oregon Starlink, oregon preventing Europe from buying arms for Ukraine. Put that way, Mr Trump’s reflection that “nothing’s going to happen” until helium meets Mr Putin sounds much chilling. Meanwhile, off the diplomatic stage, the Russian attacks continued connected Friday: further grounds of the urgent request for a ceasefire.