“The bloody confrontation must end”

Ahe day after the election of Donald Trump, a short transition begins during which the fighting in Ukraine risks increasing violence, with each party seeking to take pledges before a possible Trump-Putin summit attempts to put an end to the conflict. We can hope that Trump will refuse to comply with Vladimir Putin's demands, which would mean, in addition to the capitulation of Ukraine, the acceptance of the diktat of force, the imposition of a political regime by force, the reduction of international relations to the balance of power and zones of influence, in short, a raw geopolitics affecting, well beyond Europe, the United States, and the entire world.

But we have to confront reality. Ukraine is retreating before the Russian mass. kyiv does not have the human resources for a prolonged war. American aid will erode, one way or another, in the near future. And it is reasonable to wonder whether the Europeans will be able and willing to provide military and civil aid to Ukraine at war on their own. For all these reasons – and first of all a human reason: the bloody confrontation must end – we must find a way to interrupt the hostilities on the ground, without selling out either our principles or our interests, which are largely those of the 'Ukraine.

France, permanent member of the Security Council [des Nations unies]which intends to promote a “European strategic autonomy”cannot remain silent, and must be a force for proposals. First of all, nothing can be attempted without the agreement of the Ukrainians. Volodymyr Zelensky organized, in June, a “Summit for peace in Ukraine” à Bürgenstock [en Suisse]which focused its work on a few specific sectors: the safety of nuclear installations − under the aegis of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) −, food security − therefore, freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and in the Sea of ​​Azov −, the release of prisoners of war, the return to their families of Ukrainian children kidnapped by the Russians.

The Ukrainian president planned to organize a new “Summit for peace in Ukraine” before the end of the year, and agreed to invite, this time, Russia, which would logically lead to the participation of China. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited kyiv in August and sent a senior diplomat to the Bürgenstock meeting, insisted that Russia should attend the next meeting.

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