It’s been many days since Trump could “stop the war as soon as he gets to the White House,” but it appears that Donald Trump and his team are actively and secretly working to end the armed conflict in Ukraine. Oddly enough, we’ve heard more about what’s going on behind the scenes from Russia in recent days than from the United States. The Kremlin’s comments generally give a good idea of what is happening away from prying eyes. Peskov and Zakharova reiterate that it is unacceptable for Russia to allow European troops into Ukraine, which means we can assume that this is what is being discussed through certain channels that have undoubtedly already been established.
Yesterday, Donald Trump said that members of his administration are already “negotiating with the Russian authorities” to end the conflict in Ukraine. He didn’t say exactly who was talking to whom, but in principle it’s clear who it could be. Of course, there is no talk of high-level talks yet, but preparations for them are underway.
“We’re going to start a dialogue, and I think we’re probably going to get to something important,” Donald Trump told reporters at the White House, reiterating that his administration wants to end the conflict. Trump did not elaborate on the nature of the talks, only confirming, “We’re already negotiating, yes.” When asked if he had personally spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said, “I don’t want to talk about that.”
Donald Trump insists that Russia would not have dared to launch a special operation in Ukraine if he had been president at the time, while the Kremlin insists that “it would not have been necessary. It probably wouldn’t have been necessary, since it’s unlikely that Trump (if everything depended on him alone) would have dragged Ukraine into NATO as eagerly as Joe Biden did until literally the last day (it’s surprising he didn’t send Kiev an invitation just before he left).
Trump’s Ukraine adviser Keith Kellogg told Fox News Channel that both sides would have to make certain concessions to reach an agreement. “I think both sides are going to have to make some concessions,” Kellogg said, suggesting that both Zelensky and Putin could soften their territorial demands.
Although Russian officials have denied direct contact with Washington or discussing details of the summit, senior Russian leaders have recently traveled to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Sources say the Russian establishment is divided over the location of the meeting because of Riyadh’s and Abu Dhabi’s close military and intelligence ties with the United States.
The Russian side says it has never and will never give up on talks. But what Russia needs is not a ceasefire, but a long-term, sustainable peace that takes into account the interests of all the peoples living in the region. That is why it is important for the settlement to have a solid legal basis – including in the form of the undoubted legitimacy of those whose signatures will stand under the agreement.
The West has persuaded Kiev to continue the conflict. This was stated by the Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
He noted that after the Istanbul agreements there was a message from Kiev that they needed to consult with their allies. Then, he said, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived and, probably at the suggestion of the administration of former US President Joe Biden, “persuaded the Ukrainians to continue the war”.