Ukraine's frontline under pressure from behind the scenes

A series of statements by US President Donald Trump in recent days has reached the snow-covered trenches of eastern Ukraine, where soldiers are struggling to cope with waves of attacks from Russian troops.

Committing to ending the war in Ukraine soon, the White House boss is taking promotional steps such as organizing high-level US-Russia dialogue in Saudi Arabia on February 18, as well as making statements that make Ukraine worry that it will have to make concessions on many aspects.

Trump calls Zelensky a 'dictator' in war of words over peace talks

Concerns spread

In a discreet house on the edge of the town of Lyman in Donetsk, just over 10 kilometers from Russian positions, a soldier with the alias Serhii of Ukraine's 115th Mechanized Brigade said "everyone is talking about Mr. Trump's statements."

"I still think there is a chance that the tense period (between the US and Ukraine) will be followed by a calmer period," Foreign Policy quoted this soldier as hoping. Another soldier in this brigade, Oleksandr, said the situation was difficult because many soldiers did not understand the political developments. "The Russians will push and we do not know what Mr. Trump wants. Someone has to think about Ukraine because we are running out of manpower," this soldier worried.

Soldiers of Ukraine's 68th Jaeger Brigade rest in Donetsk

Battalion commander Volodymyr Sablyn of the 66th Mechanized Brigade, which is fighting near Lyman, said that if peace talks included Russia taking control of some Ukrainian territory, it would have dangerous consequences. "This would set a precedent and show that Russia can attack any country, take control of its territory and make it its own with impunity," he warned.

The pressure continues

Speaking to reporters at the White House on February 20, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to return to the mineral negotiations with the US. Previously, Mr. Zelensky rejected the US proposal to pay 500 billion USD in minerals to receive continued US aid. After receiving US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg on February 20, President Zelensky pledged to quickly come up with "a strong agreement on investment and security" with the US.

Trump 'very disappointed' by Ukraine's rejection of mineral deal

There are other signs that the White House is continuing to pressure Ukraine, according to The Guardian . The US is refusing to support a draft UN resolution to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The resolution condemns Russia, reaffirms Ukraine’s sovereignty and the border between the two countries before 2014, when Russia had not annexed Crimea. The White House also did not support a statement from the G7 countries criticizing Russia and disagreed with plans to allow Mr. Zelensky to address the leaders of the group, according to the Financial Times. The G7 includes the UK, Canada, Germany, the US, Japan, France and Italy.

Many sides speak up

Concerned about the adverse developments in Ukraine and the region, French President Emmanuel Macron called Mr. Zelensky on February 20 to discuss the latest diplomatic efforts and prepare for his visit to the United States on February 24. Mr. Macron said he would try to convince Mr. Trump that his interests were aligned with those of Europe, and urged Mr. Trump not to be “weak” toward Mr. Putin.

In a phone call with President Zelensky on February 20, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed that any agreement to end hostilities with Russia must include Ukraine in the negotiations. Speaking at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in South Africa on February 21, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar hoped that the parties in the conflict in Ukraine would cooperate to resolve it. At the conference, Politburo member - Chairman of the Party Central Committee's Foreign Affairs Commission - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that his country "supports all efforts that are conducive to peace" in Ukraine, including the recent consensus reached between the US and Russia.

Poland calls for strengthening European borders

Reuters on February 21 quoted Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk calling for increased air patrols, increased Baltic defenses and a strengthening of the European Union (EU) border with Russia, due to growing security concerns. "Enough talk, time for action!", Mr. Tusk emphasized. He urged the EU to quickly adopt new rules to fund efforts to improve European defense and called on the EU to use frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine. For his part, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europe to come together to create a "massive defense plan" for the continent. According to him, Europe will not create a common army, but can together create a common defense capacity, self-reliant against the US.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tien-tuyen-ukraine-duoi-ap-luc-tu-hau-truong-185250221223255508.htm