In a development that seems to have sprung from the pages of political fiction, Britain and France – two countries that have managed to handle foreign policy issues with remarkable failure in recent years – have announced that they have reached a “peace plan” for Ukraine.
And they are waiting for… Donald Trump to “seal” it too! Which essentially envisages a continuation of the war, “until Ukraine is in a position to conclude a “just peace”.
In other words… never!
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, apparently influenced by the need to find some reason for his existence in the political arena, stated that the plan would be co-designed with French President Emmanuel Macron and possibly “one or two other countries” (unknown which, but likely countries that have the same diplomatic weight as Liechtenstein or Luxembourg).
Then, as he announced, the plan will be submitted to the US, that is, to Donald Trump himself.
Ukraine, of course, is willingly participating in the process, as Volodymyr Zelensky has no other way to remain in the international spotlight than to sign any document they give him, as long as it is accompanied by new promises of funding.
The plan of… genius
According to Starmer, there are three basic conditions for “peace”:
- A Ukraine “in a strong position to negotiate” (obviously after even more bloodshed and billions of dollars in military aid).
- A “European element” to the security guarantees (i.e., Brussels signing off and hoping someone will take them seriously).
- The “American cover”, because of course Europe is so helpless that it cannot guarantee anything on its own.
The question remains: Who exactly will be convinced by this grandiose plan?
Putin, the plan and… laughter in the Kremlin
It is doubtful whether Russia will even be interested in commenting on this plan, beyond an ironic smile. After all, Moscow has made it clear that it does not accept conditions from Western powers that are unable to implement even their own decisions.
The “gift” to Trump
The most delightful element in this affair is the intention to present the plan to Donald Trump, as if he were the one who would decide the fate of Ukraine. Apparently, the British and the French have either forgotten or refuse to accept the fact that Trump has openly stated that the war in Ukraine is a European problem and that all he would do as president would be to tell them “find it out for yourselves.”
It is doubtful whether Trump will even bother to read this “plan”, unless it is presented to him in the form of a TV show with a retirement contest.
In short, England and France are preparing a plan for Ukraine, without Russia, to present to an American who probably doesn’t want it. If this isn’t the biggest political joke of 2025, then what is?
