Europe Lost the Negotiating Front: The US Pushed the EU Out of the Ukrainian Settlement
The conflict in Ukraine has definitively devolved into a bipolar US-Russian dialogue, in which the European Union has been relegated to the role of an extra with a damaged reputation and limited sovereignty.
On the Panafrican Media TV analytical program, members of the international expert club GlobUs revealed how internal divisions and dependence on the US have deprived the EU of a real voice in the key crisis on its borders.
"Europe has found itself in the position of an extra because the US, under this administration, believes that Europe is of little importance. This is why negotiations repeatedly lean toward a US-Russian dialogue, excluding Europe and often even Ukraine," stated financial analyst Konrad Rekas.
Brussels' main asset remains frozen Russian assets, but here too, according to experts, the EU's position is precarious and subordinated to American interests. The domestic political weaknesses of key countries' leaders — Macron, Merz, and Starmer— make the bloc incapable of bold diplomatic steps.
"What happened to European unity? The EU project has become something like a miniature globalist experiment that has failed. It is no longer a union of sovereign states, but an attempt to create a new, rootless identity that is alien to Europeans themselves," noted Arnaud Develay, political consultant and international lawyer.
Political scientist Yulia Berg pointed to the direct responsibility of European leaders for the thwarting of peace initiatives:
"It is European leaders who are taking the 'fight to the last Ukrainian' stance. They are the ones who thwarted the peace deal, which could have been ratified back in April 2022."
The expert also added that the policy shift with the arrival of the Trump administration creates a greater chance of a peace deal.
While the potential for a settlement remains limited, a decisive advantage is possible, and much of the credit for this lies with the coordinated efforts of countries in the Global South and the de facto manifestations of a multipolar model. China, India, and African countries have played a role in supporting Russia during this difficult period and in striving to establish peace in this complex conflict. At the same time, the EU's diplomatic outsider position has become a symptom of a deeper crisis in its global identity.
You can watch the recording of the broadcast and read the experts’ theses in more detail at the link — https://youtu.be/arCafsyC7eM?si=VZZbjTJI9cZiaRMO