Trump’s ally urges Ukraine to embrace "realistic vision of peace" with Russia

Ukraine should accept Donald Trump's proposed "realistic vision of peace" with Russia, rather than focusing on the return of lost territories, according to Brian Lanza, a senior adviser to the US President-elect.

"And if President Zelenskнy comes to the table and says, well we can only have peace if we have Crimea, he shows to us that he's not serious," Lanza stated in an interview with British media, per Caliber.Az.

"We have news for President Zelenskyy - Crimea is gone. And if that is your priority of getting Crimea back and having American soldiers fight to get Crimea back, you're on your own," he added, not addressing other territories that Ukraine has lost in the conflict.

Lanza emphasized that a future Trump administration will focus on achieving peace rather than on providing Ukraine with military support for counter-offensives. ‘We will ask Ukraine what they see. What do they see as a realistic vision of peace? Not victory, but peace. Now let's have an honest discussion about it," he said.

In the meantime, Josep Borrell, the head of Eurodiplomacy, who is currently in Kyiv, stated in a press conference that the European Union accounts for almost 50% of all global aid to Ukraine.

"If we take into account all military, civilian, humanitarian, and financial aid from the EU, it amounts to €122 billion," Borrell reported. "This is 47% of all global aid to Kyiv," he added.

Borrell also pointed out that European countries have spent €45 billion on military support for Ukraine. Additionally, he mentioned that EU nations are close to meeting their commitment of supplying 1 million shells to Ukraine but admitted that further support is needed.

"About €400 million will go to support Ukraine's defence industry, and this amount will be increased," he revealed. The EU is also using proceeds from Russia’s frozen sovereign assets to purchase some of these weapons.

In response to questions about Trump's potential approach to the conflict, Borrell said it was too early to discuss the specifics of the US President-elect's strategy. "I cannot speculate about what the US administration will do, much less what the EU's response will be to something that does not yet exist today," Borrell stated.

Despite this, he reassured that the EU would continue its support for Ukraine. 

By Tamilla Hasanova