Ukraine’s big powers at big-power talks

Last week, when President Donald Trump announced he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15, he presented it as 20th-century-style diplomacy: Two big powers will decide the future of a smaller country, Ukraine, discussing “some swapping of territories” as part of a possible peace deal. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, would not be in the room where it happens.

Mr. Zelenskyy still probably won’t be at the table during the talks in Alaska. Yet over recent days, the leader of a country with about 40 million people has shown how smaller countries can wield influence beyond their numbers, bringing unique characteristics to become respected as big players, not bit players.

With a tenacity like that of his soldiers, the Ukraine leader has rallied other smaller countries in Europe to his side, forming a temporary alliance to reshape the summit’s agenda. To the world media, he cited a century or more of international law that Ukraine would not concede territory by threat of force. “Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier,” he said.

And along with major European leaders, he persuaded Mr. Trump in a phone call Wednesday to accept key principles – such as the inclusion of any country in a negotiation to determine its existence.

After the call, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, “We made it clear that Ukraine must be at the table at the next meeting. We want things to go in the right sequence: We want a ceasefire at the very beginning, and then a framework agreement must be drawn up.”

The White House has now lowered expectations for the talks, saying they are a “listening exercise” rather than direct negotiations. This turnaround reflects a global trend for small states – small in land, population, military, or economy – to not see themselves as small in other aspects.

Ukraine, for example, has tapped the innovation of its people to design world-class drones. It has tightened up the integrity of officials by cracking down on corruption, giving its army an edge over Russia’s corrupt military. And it has built trust with other nations that also see national sovereignty as legally sacrosanct.

Countries like Singapore, Qatar, and Armenia have learned to play to their strengths – such as in finance, technology, or mediation – to earn respect from big nations. Their enlarged roles belie the words of Greek historian Thucydides, “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” Equality between nations now rings truer than ever.