"Peace Negotiations vs Just War"… Divided Europe, How to Respond to Russia?

Germany, France, and Italy are 'Peace Faction' countries advocating to start negotiations
UK, Poland, and Baltic Sea coastal countries take the 'Justice Faction' stance to continue the war
Zelensky, "At least restore the situation to before Russia's invasion began"
82% of Ukrainian people, "Cannot accept demands to give up territory"

The leaders of the 27 European Union (EU) member countries are taking a commemorative photo ahead of an informal meeting. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Kim Gun-chan, Intern Reporter] As Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters a prolonged phase, European countries' stances on how to respond to Russia have begun to diverge. Positions have split between those advocating for "peace negotiations" to end the war and start talks, and those supporting a so-called "just war," insisting on fighting Russia to the end.

Ivan Krastev, director of the Bulgarian think tank Centre for Liberal Strategies (CLS), analyzed in The Economist on the 26th of last month that "the West is divided into two camps," explaining that "there is a 'peace faction' calling for an immediate halt to fighting and the start of negotiations, and a 'justice faction' insisting that Russia must pay the price for its aggression."

Germany, which demands a ceasefire; France, which proposes a future peace agreement; and Italy, which has suggested a four-step roadmap for political agreement, are representative peace-faction countries. On the 28th (local time last month), AP reported that French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz demanded an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops during a trilateral phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

President Macron stated via social media that he "emphasized to President Putin the need to find a solution through negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv while respecting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Italy also reportedly presented a four-step roadmap outlining a concrete phased process after a ceasefire, according to Italian news agency ANSA and others on the 23rd. Italy is known to be the first Western country to propose a specific peace negotiation plan. On the 26th, the Russian Kremlin announced that Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi had a phone call with President Putin to discuss the Ukraine situation and the global food crisis.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a video conference with Roman Busargin, Acting Governor of Saratov Oblast, at the Moscow Kremlin on the 10th of last month (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

In contrast to the peace faction advocating for a negotiated solution, the UK, Poland, and the Baltic states hold the justice faction view that the war must continue. On the 28th, the UK Prime Minister's Office announced that Boris Johnson had a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss military support for Ukraine's defense. Johnson said on social media, "The UK will continue to provide equipment so that Ukraine can defend itself."

According to foreign media, Polish President Andrzej Duda visited Kyiv and delivered a speech to the parliament. President Duda emphasized, "Only Ukraine should decide its future," and "Not even one centimeter of Ukrainian territory should be conceded to Russia."

At a summit on the 25th with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister of Estonia and one of the Baltic states, said, "Demanding a ceasefire and peace now is premature," adding, "We must avoid a bad peace."

Meanwhile, Ukraine itself, as the party involved, appears more likely to choose a just war over peace negotiations. In an interview with Dutch public broadcaster NOS on the 29th, President Zelensky said, "Even if we cannot recover all Ukrainian territory, we must at least restore the situation to what it was before the Russian invasion began on February 24." He added, "We are not prepared to give Crimea or Donbas to Russia, nor will we ever recognize them."

The views of the Ukrainian people also seem similar to President Zelensky's. A survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology from the 13th to 18th of last month, polling 2,000 Ukrainians, found that 82% responded that they "cannot accept demands to give up territory."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.