The Mediator's Burden: London's Summit, and the Weight of a War-Torn Continent | Opinion

There was a strong sense of unity and friendship at the London summit on Ukraine. However, there was also a clear feeling that Europe was realizing the situation had become very serious.

The past four days have been remarkable for international diplomacy, Ukraine's future, and Europe's security.

There was a warm and friendly atmosphere at the White House when US President Donald Trump met Sir Keir Starmer. In contrast, a day later, the mood was tense and filled with anger during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit.

According to the BBC, Europe's meeting at Lancaster House (a historic building in London), with Canada as its key transatlantic partner (a close ally across the Atlantic Ocean), had already been planned before Friday's (28th February) heated exchange in the Oval Office (the official office of the U.S. President in the White House, Washington, D.C.).However, after that incident, the meeting became even more important.

Russia, watching the situation, said in a joking way that the meeting was planned against Trump. By saying this, Russia tried to take advantage of the disagreements among Western countries and make their divisions even worse.

Sir Keir and others strongly denied this claim. They made it clear that the meeting was not against Trump. The prime minister wanted to act as a fair and neutral mediator between two important allies, the United States and Ukraine.

The summit seemed like an effort by European countries to support and revive the plan for peace in Ukraine. At the same time, they openly admitted that Europe still needs the United States' support to ensure that the war can come to a lasting end.

Within his own country, the prime minister is gaining a lot of support from politicians across different parties for his efforts. This might not seem very important when looking at the bigger international situation, but it still matters because having strong support at home can help the prime minister be more effective in his efforts.

According to BBC , Sir Keir and his relatively new government have faced many challenges early on. However, he has taken control of this crisis and is actively influencing events alongside other leaders. He appears focused, determined, and clear about what he wants to achieve.

It’s important to keep two things in mind right now. First, if a peace agreement is reached, it could have a big impact on many families in the UK. Second, this includes the possibility of British soldiers, pilots, and other military personnel being sent to Ukraine—a country that has been unstable and fought over for years, with Russia trying to control it for a long time.

Their main job would be to keep the peace, but many people might see them as defenders of freedom, standing at the forefront to protect it.

Many people may currently support this idea, but that doesn’t change the fact that those who go there will face a big and difficult task.

Another important thing to remember is that there is still a lot of diplomatic work ahead. We can expect many more days like the recent ones, both in the UK and in other parts of the world.

The road to peace may still be a long journey ahead.

(The author of this article is an award-winning Science Writer and a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach him at: girishlinganna@gmail.com)