WHEN HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF, FIRST AS TRAGEDY THEN AS FARCE K MARX
By AFP
March 4, 2025
Russian forces have escalated their attacks on eastern Ukraine despite mounting rhetoric from Washington and Moscow over peace - Copyright AFP Tetiana DZHAFAROVA
Sergii VOLSKYI with Florent VERGNES in Kramatorsk
Ukrainians in Kyiv and soldiers on the front lines were in shock on Tuesday and grappling with a sense of betrayal after US President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend military aid.
The move by Trump follows weeks of deteriorating ties between Washington and Kyiv, and Ukrainians said the decision played directly into the hands of the Kremlin.
“It’s like a stab in the back. Because we were counting on them. And we are still counting on them. It’s wrong in my opinion,” Sofia, a Kyiv resident, who declined to give her surname, told AFP.
“Of course it was shocking. These are our main partners,” the 33-year-old financial assistant added.
The United States, which is Ukraine’s most important political ally, has also contributed billions of dollars of vital military assistance to Kyiv since Russia invaded in February 2022.
Trump vowed before his inauguration in January to speedily end the war but had offered no roadmap, spurring fears that Ukraine could be forced into conceding territory to Russia as part of an agreement.
– ‘Europe will be next’ –
Oleksiy, a 26-year-old serviceman, told AFP in the frontline town of Kramatorsk that Ukraine would need to find other ways to make up the shortfalls in aid.
“At the very least, Europe is interested in this. If (Russian forces) capture Ukraine, Europe will be next,” he added.
Denys Kazansky, a Ukrainian media commentator said that while Washington had paused support for Kyiv “North Korea and Iran did not stop military aid to Russia”.
Both Moscow-allied countries have provided critical help to the Russian military since the Kremlin launched its fully-fledged invasion.
“We live in a reality where the United States has become an ally of North Korea, Russia and Iran and it is helping them carry out aggression against a European country,” Kazansky added on social media.
Political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko told AFP that the halt of US military aid did not necessarily mean that Ukraine would imminently lose the war.
“Worsening of the situation — yes. Weakening of Ukraine’s defence capabilities — yes. More vulnerability in case of ballistic missile attacks on Ukraine — yes,” he said.
“But this does not mean the inevitable loss of the war,” he said.
Sergiy Takhmazov, a member of the Ukrainian military, questioned how long Ukrainians would be able to hold out without US support for air defence systems and intelligence sharing.
Prime Minister Denys Shmygal told reporters that Ukraine would find a way to “hold out” and said Kyiv was still open to talks with Washington.
But he said that Ukraine needed security guarantees from its Western allies to deter any future Russian attacks.
“This is existentially important not only for Ukraine, but also for the European Union, for the European continent,” Shmygal said.
– Ukraine could ‘cease to exist’ –
Pavlo Kazarin, a journalist and commentator who joined the military, warned what would happen without those guarantees.
“All those who demand peace from us ignore that the price of our peace will be higher than the price of our war,” he said.
Some of the servicemen AFP spoke with in eastern Ukraine voiced confidence in their country’s own developing arms industry.
“It’s just that so much has already happened, and now to back off or something like that, I don’t see any sense in it,” said a 37-year-old sergeant who identified himself to AFP as Viking.
In the capital, Igor Peresada said the dynamics of fighting would become much more difficult without US military support, but said that it would also be impossible for Ukraine to stop fighting.
“Because if we stop shooting, Ukraine will cease to exist as an independent state. And if Putin wants a ceasefire, he can withdraw his troops, and that’s it, the war will end,” the 57-year-old civil servant said.
Diplomat Charles: UK king’s role in Trump-Ukraine tightrope act
By AFP
March 4, 2025
King Charles welcomed Zelensky to the Sandringham Estate just two days after the Ukrainian leader's dressing down in the Oval Office
Peter HUTCHISON
From showing solidarity with Volodymyr Zelensky to inviting US President Donald Trump for an historic state visit, Britain’s diplomatic drive over Ukraine has a surprising pivotal figure: King Charles III.
The UK head of state may be politically neutral, but that has not stopped the Labour government from calling upon him three times in recent days to aid international diplomacy efforts.
Charles helped smooth Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to the White House last week before separately welcoming Zelensky and Canadian leader Justin Trudeau to his country retreat in Norfolk.
“It’s slightly unusual, but I think it’s a very good use of the royals,” professor Pauline Maclaran at Royal Holloway University of London said of the flurry of meetings.
“Their big asset is this soft power that they can provide, and I think it was much needed at this time,” the royal expert told AFP.
The 76-year-old monarch appears all-too-happy to play his part, as Britain’s diplomatic blitz over Ukraine sees it emerge from the wilderness of the post-Brexit years to take its place again on the world stage.
“It has been six days of royal diplomacy at its most delicate, deliberate and nuanced,” a royal source briefed UK media on Monday.
The source added that Charles “is very conscious of his responsibility globally, regionally and nationally -– and passionately engaged in all the detail”.
“As a global statesman and a head of state for both the UK and Canada, the king’s role is highly significant, and his majesty is determined to play his part, within appropriate parameters,” the source added.
Buckingham Palace never shares information about what is discussed during the monarch’s meetings, but the source said his role “is to offer symbolic gestures, rather than express comment”.
The symbolism was plain to see in the Oval Office last week when Starmer brandished a signed letter from Charles inviting Trump to become the first leader in history to undertake a second state visit to Britain.
In front of the TV cameras a beaming US president read the invitation, said it would be an “honour” to accept, and declared the king “a beautiful man, a wonderful man”.
– ‘Masterstroke’ –
That set the tone for a friendly meeting between Starmer and Trump that was devoid of any verbal fireworks.
“It was a little bit of a masterstroke,” said Maclaran, adding that the king’s invitation was “to impress Trump, to show him the greatest respect, and to ease the way for Starmer to negotiate with him”.
Evie Aspinall, director of the British Foreign Policy Group think-tank, agrees that the gesture helpfully played to Trump’s ego.
“He wants to feel big and important, and we can do that” with a state visit, she told AFP.
Charles’s next diplomatic endeavour was much less flashy but sent an equally strong message, the analysts say.
On Sunday, he warmly welcomed Zelensky to his Sandringham Estate in eastern England just two days after Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Ukraine’s leader in the Oval Office.
According to royal watchers it cleverly symbolised solidarity with British ally Zelensky, but in a low-key way so as not to offend the thin-skinned Trump.
“The royal family was giving their legitimacy to Zelensky at a time where he really needs it with Trump,” said Aspinall.
For Maclaran, it helped portray “equal respect” to both leaders at a time when Britain is trying to bridge the divide between the United States on one side, and Europe and Ukraine on the other.
Charles is Canada’s head of state and Trudeau said he was going to use Monday’s meeting to talk about defending Canada’s sovereignty, as Trump repeatedly calls for it to become the 51st US state.
It is custom that the monarch acts only on the advice of the prime minister in matters involving the Commonwealth nation but some Canadians have asked why the king has not spoken out in defence of Canada.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams says Charles must remain wary of becoming too involved in diplomacy due to the unpredictability of the Trump era.
“It’s not only the complexities, it’s the speed at which it moves. It’s very confusing and he’s got to be very, very careful,” Fitzwilliams told AFP.
By AFP
March 4, 2025
King Charles welcomed Zelensky to the Sandringham Estate just two days after the Ukrainian leader's dressing down in the Oval Office
- Copyright ${image.metadata.node.credit}
Peter HUTCHISON
From showing solidarity with Volodymyr Zelensky to inviting US President Donald Trump for an historic state visit, Britain’s diplomatic drive over Ukraine has a surprising pivotal figure: King Charles III.
The UK head of state may be politically neutral, but that has not stopped the Labour government from calling upon him three times in recent days to aid international diplomacy efforts.
Charles helped smooth Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to the White House last week before separately welcoming Zelensky and Canadian leader Justin Trudeau to his country retreat in Norfolk.
“It’s slightly unusual, but I think it’s a very good use of the royals,” professor Pauline Maclaran at Royal Holloway University of London said of the flurry of meetings.
“Their big asset is this soft power that they can provide, and I think it was much needed at this time,” the royal expert told AFP.
The 76-year-old monarch appears all-too-happy to play his part, as Britain’s diplomatic blitz over Ukraine sees it emerge from the wilderness of the post-Brexit years to take its place again on the world stage.
“It has been six days of royal diplomacy at its most delicate, deliberate and nuanced,” a royal source briefed UK media on Monday.
The source added that Charles “is very conscious of his responsibility globally, regionally and nationally -– and passionately engaged in all the detail”.
“As a global statesman and a head of state for both the UK and Canada, the king’s role is highly significant, and his majesty is determined to play his part, within appropriate parameters,” the source added.
Buckingham Palace never shares information about what is discussed during the monarch’s meetings, but the source said his role “is to offer symbolic gestures, rather than express comment”.
The symbolism was plain to see in the Oval Office last week when Starmer brandished a signed letter from Charles inviting Trump to become the first leader in history to undertake a second state visit to Britain.
In front of the TV cameras a beaming US president read the invitation, said it would be an “honour” to accept, and declared the king “a beautiful man, a wonderful man”.
– ‘Masterstroke’ –
That set the tone for a friendly meeting between Starmer and Trump that was devoid of any verbal fireworks.
“It was a little bit of a masterstroke,” said Maclaran, adding that the king’s invitation was “to impress Trump, to show him the greatest respect, and to ease the way for Starmer to negotiate with him”.
Evie Aspinall, director of the British Foreign Policy Group think-tank, agrees that the gesture helpfully played to Trump’s ego.
“He wants to feel big and important, and we can do that” with a state visit, she told AFP.
Charles’s next diplomatic endeavour was much less flashy but sent an equally strong message, the analysts say.
On Sunday, he warmly welcomed Zelensky to his Sandringham Estate in eastern England just two days after Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Ukraine’s leader in the Oval Office.
According to royal watchers it cleverly symbolised solidarity with British ally Zelensky, but in a low-key way so as not to offend the thin-skinned Trump.
“The royal family was giving their legitimacy to Zelensky at a time where he really needs it with Trump,” said Aspinall.
For Maclaran, it helped portray “equal respect” to both leaders at a time when Britain is trying to bridge the divide between the United States on one side, and Europe and Ukraine on the other.
Charles is Canada’s head of state and Trudeau said he was going to use Monday’s meeting to talk about defending Canada’s sovereignty, as Trump repeatedly calls for it to become the 51st US state.
It is custom that the monarch acts only on the advice of the prime minister in matters involving the Commonwealth nation but some Canadians have asked why the king has not spoken out in defence of Canada.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams says Charles must remain wary of becoming too involved in diplomacy due to the unpredictability of the Trump era.
“It’s not only the complexities, it’s the speed at which it moves. It’s very confusing and he’s got to be very, very careful,” Fitzwilliams told AFP.
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