The conflict in Ukraine has persisted for over six years, and for the past eight months, tensions between Russia and Ukraine have heightened. The recent declaration of a cease-fire by Russian forces within southern and eastern Ukraine has given rise to hope for a true resolution and recognizable peace. However, despite the welcome move towards peace, the efforts made by Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, and his French and German counterparts are still insufficient to address the ongoing issue. The article discusses these matters, including renewed Russian aggression and the leading role of the United States and the EU to support Ukraine in its efforts for peace.
According to the Ukrainian government, in response to the declaration of a cease-fire, Russian forces have bombed Mariupol, where evidence of Russian participation in markets, finance, and aid has been detected. Furthermore, in a bid to defend itself from Russian influences, Ukraine has been pushing for a stronger partnership with the EU. This decision was recently supported at a summit meeting in Kyiv and came as a rebuke to the correspondent policies held by the EU, which favored rapprochement with Russia.
In terms of addressing the conflict directly, France and Germany have taken a leading role. Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel have been pressing for a summit of Russia, Ukraine, and the EU leading to the orchestration of peace talks within Minsk, Belarus. However, as clarified by the article, “the summit has not yet fixed a date,” suggesting that progress towards resolving the conflict is slow-moving and unyielding. Furthermore, Germany and France have been accused of downplaying the importance of Russian infringements, emphasizing, instead, the leading role of the US under Donald Trump in bringing peace to the region.
In terms of US involvement, the article cited a recently published speech by Vice President Mike Pence, wherein the vice president questioned German and French policies towards present-day Russian aggression. Specifically, Pence stated that the US would “press its European allies to do more to achieve true energy security, which means reducing Europe’s dangerous reliance on energy supplied by Russia,” which suggests that a division exists between Germany and France, on one hand, and the US correspondent policies held by the EU, which favored rapprochement with Russia.
In conclusion, in light of the unresolved conflict in Ukraine, the recent declaration of a cease-fire in southern and eastern Ukraine by Russian forces has offered hope towards genuine peace. However, progress remains slow-moving and unyielding. While Germany and France have taken a leading role in addressing the conflict directly, the article suggests that the United States should adopt a more dedicated role in supporting Ukrainian efforts for peace, which would involve addressing the ill effects of Russian aggression surrounding Ukraine.
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