Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate a quick end to the war in Ukraine have run into trouble. As US negotiators meet with Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to explore possibilities for a comprehensive ceasefire, the Russian side is clearly going through the motions.
Vladimir Putin’s call last week with Trump showed that he sees no need to stop fighting when he is winning. He believes that he can weaken Ukraine’s will to fight and encourage Trump to help him impose on Kyiv a Russian-designed peace settlement. So far, he has not sensed any determination on the part of the Trump administration to persuade him otherwise.
Russia’s main vulnerability that Trump could threaten to exploit is Russia’s ability to sell oil
One of Putin’s key requirements for a peace deal is a commitment that Ukraine will not join foreign military alliances or host foreign military bases. Even before talks began, Trump delivered a major concession to Moscow by ruling out the possibility of Nato membership for Ukraine.
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