Military expert Joakim Paasikivi criticizes former President Trump, suggesting he has become Putin's 'errand boy' ahead of a crucial meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky at the White House. The meeting, attended by key European leaders, aims to discuss potential American security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace agreement. Paasikivi expresses skepticism about the effectiveness of these guarantees, highlighting the unpredictability of the American delegation.
Paasikivi Criticizes Trump's Alleged Alignment with Putin
Paasikivi Criticizes Trump's Alleged Alignment with Putin
Putin is reportedly open to American security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace agreement. Military expert Joakim Paasikivi calls this a "completely untested" idea.
"Trump has become Putin's errand boy," he says ahead of the president's meeting with Zelensky at the White House.
Zelensky is accompanied by a full entourage of European leaders for the meeting with Trump at the White House on Monday.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and NATO Chief Mark Rutte are among those attending.
Military expert Joakim Paasikivi believes it will be exciting to see the impact of the European leaders' presence.
He sees two possible outcomes.
"On one hand, it might be perceived that the current American delegation doesn't particularly like the EU. There's a risk that they might just see it as Europe not being allowed to ruin this peace agreement and follow the Russian line with Ukrainian capitulation," he says.
Alternatively, Trump might listen to the European leaders' concerns and be influenced by them.
The American delegation is unpredictable, which is why there is significant interest from the European leaders to accompany, Paasikivi argues.
"We hope it won't be a repeat of when Zelensky visited the White House in February."
"Trump has become Putin's errand boy"
Ahead of the meeting, American envoy Steve Witkoff stated that Putin might agree to a deal involving American security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace agreement.
Joakim Paasikivi is skeptical.
"The question is, are they really prepared to give Ukraine security guarantees? If you want to be kind, you can interpret it that way, but it's naive given Russian history," says Paasikivi.
The idea of providing Ukraine with protection equivalent to Article 5 of the NATO treaty, without allowing the country to join NATO, he calls "completely untested."
He also criticizes Trump's "turnaround" after the meeting with Putin.
"It has emerged that Trump's stance before the meeting was to impose tough sanctions on Russia, but now Trump has become Putin's errand boy. The idea that Russia would get Donbass in exchange for stopping the war is absurd."