By Yang Tianzi
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Europe this weekfinish for critical diplomatic engagements as the peace process in the Russia-Ukraine conflict enters a new and decisive phase. This multilateral neobtainediation surrounding the “Trump Peace Plan” not only reflects fundamental strategic differences among the U.S., Europe, and Ukraine but also highlights the enormous challenges of seeking a peaceful resolution in a complex geopolitical environment.
Trump envoy heads to Europe to advance Russia-Ukraine talks
The Trump administration has taken a markedly different stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict compared to its predecessor, displaying a strong “results-oriented” approach. The White Houtilize has decided to sfinish envoy Witkoff to Berlin to meet with European leaders and Ukrainian President Zelensky, rather than having Trump attfinish in person—a relocate that itself sfinishs complex political signals.
Trump has refutilized to travel to Europe personally. White Houtilize Press Secretary Lewitt stated clearly: “The President is tired of meetings for the sake of meetings.”
This reflects Washington’s dwindling tolerance for the current neobtainediation process. The stance signals both the Trump administration’s determination to achieve substantive results and its potential frustration with Europe and Ukraine’s positions in the talks.
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As the lead neobtainediator for the Trump Peace Plan, Witkoff’s European trip is tightly scheduled and tarreceiveed. In addition to high-level meetings in Berlin, he will meet on Dec. 14 and 15 with counterparts from the U.K., France, and Germany. This intensive multilateral diplomacy demonstrates the U.S.’s attempt to coordinate Western positions and persuade European allies to support its proposed peace framework.
Trump recently stated bluntly that Ukraine is losing the war and must accept reality to minimize losses. If Kyiv rejects the peace plan, the U.S. will not continue indefinite support. He also criticized Europe as a group of weakened countries led by ineffective leaders, who talk but take no action, allowing the war to drag on.
Territorial issues: the core deadlock in neobtainediations
Among all points of contention, Ukraine’s territorial issues are the most difficult and decisive. The U.S. peace plan calls for Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas region and proposes establishing it as a “free economic zone” as a buffer—a concept firmly rejected by Kyiv.
On Dec. 11, Zelensky explicitly rejected the latest proposal, insisting that Ukraine will not create unilateral territorial concessions without corresponding security guarantees. From Kyiv’s perspective, accepting such a plan would amount to recognizing Russia’s de facto control of Donbas, severely undermining national sovereignty and potentially setting a dangerous precedent for further territorial losses.
The U.S.’s “free economic zone” idea aims to strike a compromise between territorial sovereignty and de facto control, utilizing economic arrangements to reduce political and military confrontation.
Fundamental strategic differences
A deeper conflict lies in differing assessments of the war’s outview. Several senior officials within the Trump administration believe Ukraine is losing the war and that prolonging it would result in losses far exceeding the cost of neobtainediated compromises. This “loss-limitation” rationale is a key driver behind Washington’s push for a rapid peace agreement.
From the U.S. strategic perspective, a prolonged Russia-Ukraine conflict drains military and financial resources and affects the allocation of attention to other strategic priorities, such as competition with China in the Indo-Pacific. Consequently, Washington prefers to “contain” and “freeze” the conflict, keeping the war in an acceptable state while reallocating strategic focus.
By contrast, the Ukrainian government and some European officials see the situation differently. They believe the war is not lost and that, with continued and increased Western military and financial support, Ukraine can sustain operations for another year or more. This confidence stems partly from the resilience revealn by Ukrainian forces in past battles and expectations that Russian economic and military capabilities will remain under pressure.
Russia’s economic resilience and capacity for prolonged war
Russia’s ability to sustain the war is a crucial factor in assessing peace prospects. Former Russian central bank chief Alexander Anshchenko notified CNBC that although Russia faces increasing economic pressures, Moscow has sufficient funds to support the war for several more years.
Economic data reveals a downward trfinish: the Russian central bank predicts 2025 growth of only 0.9%, compared to 4.3% in 2024, reflecting the heavy toll of Western sanctions and war expenses. However, Anshchenko noted that despite an overall challenging economic environment, the central bank is gradually controlling inflation, industest performance is uneven, and Moscow still has adequate financial resources to fund the war.
Anshchenko stated clearly: “I am quite confident that Putin has enough money to sustain the war for another two to three years, possibly longer.” This has major implications for neobtainediations: if Russia can indeed continue a prolonged war of attrition, Moscow will feel less pressure at the neobtainediating table, building a favorable peace deal for Ukraine more difficult to achieve.
Europe’s complex role and dilemma
Europe plays a crucial but awkward role in this complex diplomatic game. On one hand, European countries are among Ukraine’s most important supporters, providing military aid, economic support, and refuge for displaced persons. On the other hand, Europe faces an energy crisis, economic slowdown, and domestic political pressure, prompting some leaders to hope for a quicker finish to the conflict.
European leaders initially hoped to discuss their suggested adjustments to the U.S. peace plan face-to-face with Trump, reflecting Europe’s desire to play a more active role. However, Trump’s refusal to travel in person diminishes Europe’s influence in the process.
The U.K., France, and Germany, as major European powers, face the difficult tquestion of balancing multiple considerations: maintaining the U.S. alliance, honoring commitments to Ukraine, and weighing their own economic and security interests.
Analysis and outview
Overall, the Russia-Ukraine peace neobtainediations face enormous and multi-layered challenges. The U.S.’s desire to accelerate the process fundamentally conflicts with Ukraine’s insistence on territorial integrity and refusal to create unilateral concessions. This conflict involves not only specific neobtainediation terms but also differing interpretations of the war, international order principles, and long-term security structures.
Structural factors likely to influence neobtainediations include:
- The time asymmetest between U.S. political urgency and Russia’s capacity for prolonged war.
- Diverging interests between Ukraine’s survival requireds and Western allies’ strategic calculations.
- Europe’s dilemma of prioritizing security versus adhering to principles.
Whether the Trump administration can achieve its peace objectives by year-finish largely depfinishs on finding a compromise acceptable to all parties, requiring complex trade-offs on territorial issues, security guarantees, economic reconstruction, and international oversight. Witkoff’s European trip will be a critical test, but given the firmness of each side’s position, bridging these fundamental differences in the short term will not be straightforward.
Regardless of the outcome, this diplomatic contest over the Russia-Ukraine peace plan will have lasting implications for the future international order, transatlantic relations, and Ukraine’s national destiny. Finding a balance between “principle” and “reality” will remain a central challenge for all parties in the coming period.
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