Trump's Ukraine plan: Echoes of past European missteps
The German press continues its sharp criticism of Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Ukraine. Comparisons are being drawn with the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact and the Treaty of Versailles.
In Europe, we have previously had a "peace plan" similar to Trump's proposal, which brought much misfortune to our continent. In 1939, the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact was enacted, resulting in the division of Poland," reads a comment published in the "Münchner Merkur" newspaper.
Currently, Putin and Trump seek to take similar actions with Ukraine – Russia would keep its seized lands, the United States would gain access to mineral resources, and Europe would face an influx of millions of new refugees – warns the commentator. In his opinion, a truce without stringent security guarantees merely postpones the war for a few years.
"The brutality with which Moscow, under the guise of peace negotiations, bombards Kyiv, demonstrates Putin's determination to erase a neighbouring democratic country from the map," writes a journalist from "Münchner Merkur".
"Europe currently requires a coalition of willing parties to bolster Ukraine’s defences, compelling Putin to engage in genuine negotiations. Germany must take the lead. Unlike the procrastinating Scholz, Merz appears ready to assume this role," reads the conclusion.
criticism of Putin and Trump
"With the latest missile attack on Kyiv, the Russian regime has shown its stance on peace negotiations. Moscow initiated the war against Ukraine and aims to continue it until the country is either subordinated or destroyed," writes Reinhard Veser in "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung".
The commentator forecasts that Trump and his entourage will blame Ukraine for the impending failure of the talks. In his view, this stance is not solely the product of Russian propaganda. "Trump and Putin jointly believe in the law of the stronger. If the weaker do not yield to threats and blackmail, only they are to blame when they suffer harm," writes Veser.
According to the "FAZ" journalist, the EU and Ukraine face a perilous situation. Trump has effectively "invited" Putin to test the Europeans' defensive capacities with provocations and renewed acts of aggression.
The former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel compared the American proposals to the Treaty of Versailles after the First World War. "Europeans know well how weak and fragile such imposed 'peace treaties' are," said Gabriel.
In this manner, the United States would become "a representative of Russia's interests" – he warned. "All this is merely to enable the Trump administration to shirk responsibility as quickly as possible and 'make a quick getaway'," criticised the German SPD politician.
