The new iron curtain in the heart of Europe; Will Ukraine become the second Korea?

According to Isna, informed sources say that after the meeting of US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll with the diplomats of NATO member states in Kiev, where he was supposed to provide them with explanations about the 28-point peace plan of US President Donald Trump, the Europeans are angry.

The Atlantic published this article in a report and wrote: A diplomat later told us that “I feel sick. It’s like the world is falling apart around us and we are witnessing it in reality.

According to three sources familiar with the matter, Driscoll’s proposal to the Europeans was to establish a “civilian impenetrable zone” along the front lines in Ukraine after the warring parties agreed to a ceasefire.

Driscoll’s tone suggested he expected the offer to be well received, they told The Atlantic. But instead, his reference to a demilitarized zone similar to the one between North and South Korea painted a bleak outlook for the Trump administration’s view of Ukraine’s future. The Korean Demilitarized Zone, which stretches about 160 miles across the Korean peninsula, has become a symbol of stagnant conflict and unresolved hostilities since it was established after the end of the Korean War in 1953.

The American publication wrote: This uninhabited land in the 38-degree orbit along with the Berlin Wall, which fell 36 years ago, have become one of the most powerful symbols of the Cold War. With artillery stationed on both sides, infiltration tunnels dug into the ground, and warplanes patrolling the skies, Korea’s demilitarized zone looks anything but peaceful. Hundreds of soldiers have been killed over the years as a result of ceasefire violations.

In media interviews in the past, Zelensky has pointed to the Korean demilitarized zone as a model for conflict resolution that Ukraine would be in danger of following.

The front line in Ukraine runs more than 600 miles through the main industrial and agricultural areas in the east and south of the country, and thousands of towns and villages are located around them. “When the front line is this long, a stagnant conflict may always lead to some form of military conflict,” Zelensky said in an interview in March. He recalled that he had explained this to him in February during his controversial meeting with the US President in the Oval Office of the White House. Zelensky said that “when you divide the people like this, there is no peace in those cities.”

What are the advantages of the US proposed demilitarized zone?

It went on to say: Driscoll didn’t give Europeans many details about what this new Iron Curtain would look like in Europe, how it would be built, or who would protect it. However, one European diplomat said that “he seemed excited about how advanced it would be,” pointing to the promise of advanced American technology such as drones and sensors that would be far superior to the fortifications of the two Koreas in the 21st century.

Trump’s 28-point plan refers to a “neutral and civilian buffer zone” that will be established after the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donetsk province in the east of the country. According to several reports about the contents of this program, this area will be recognized as belonging to Russia.

A spokeswoman for Driscoll told The Atlantic after his meeting with NATO officials that he spoke about “America’s intentions, the urgency and the momentum we’ve gained, which was a positive exchange.”

Zelensky said that Ukraine is facing “one of the most difficult moments” in its history. The U.S. proposal presents the country with a choice: “lose our dignity or risk losing a key partner.”

The first paragraph of the proposed plan promises that “Ukraine’s national sovereignty will be confirmed”, but other provisions prevent the country’s sovereign rights to self-determination. The plan would force Ukraine to withdraw from several cities and large swaths of territory in the Donbass region — territory that Russia has tried and failed to take control of for years. The plan limits the size of Ukraine’s military to 600,000 soldiers and excludes its goal of joining NATO, a requirement stipulated in Article 102 of Ukraine’s constitution. According to this plan, Russia will return to the international arena as a valid member, its position among the industrialized countries of the Group of Seven will be restored, and its international sanctions will be lifted.

The domineering approach of the Trump administration in working with Europeans

The Atlantic wrote: Some participants in the Kiev meeting with Driscoll expressed their disappointment that the US did not consult with NATO allies when developing this proposal, which is directly related to the future of NATO. When Driscoll was asked why other NATO members had not been consulted about the U.S. proposal, one participant said, Driscoll replied that “the cook is divided, the food is either salty or saltless.”

This aggressive approach to working with Europeans has long been part of Trump’s strategy to end the war in Ukraine. General Keith Clague, Trump’s envoy to the peace talks, said in a meeting with European officials in February that the United States would consider their interests when negotiating with the Russians, but would not invite the Europeans to participate directly in the talks. “What we don’t want to do is get into a big group discussion,” he said in the Munich leak. We are trying to complete this work in a short period of time.”

Some European officials in the meeting with Driscoll felt that the American position was not fixed and immutable. A senior European diplomat said of Driscoll’s comments that “he was trying to calm people down”. This diplomat added: “He very politely said that these issues are for discussion and we will not force anything on the Ukrainians. “But setting a deadline makes it seem that they really intend to give it (the peace plan) to Zelensky.”

end of message