On Friday morning, the first direct conversations between Ukraine and Russia from spring 2022 are to start in Istanbul. However, it is very unlikely that Wołodymyr Zełenski would meet at the negotiating table with Vladimir Putin.
The Russian president sent a delegation to Turkey. Zielnski came to Ankara personally and met with the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. By sending low -ranking officials to conversations, Russia undoubtedly showed Ukraine disrespect. In response to this, Zelanski stated that Moscow lacks a “serious approach” and he appointed the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov to the Ukrainian negotiator.
However, Putin's actions were not accidental. It is obvious that he does not want to meet with Zelanski or with any Ukrainian, and to another man – Donald Trump. And this one is well aware of this.
“I don't think a breakthrough is possible without a direct conversation between President Trump and President Putin,” said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Fox News on Thursday. He said he didn't know when and where it would happen, “But at the moment this is the only chance.”
– From what we know after many months of work, nothing will happen until President Trump sits with Vladimir Putin at the negotiating table and does not put all the cards on the table – he added.
Putin's tactics
It seems that the calculation of the President of Russia works – As in the past, he wants to meet Trump on direct conversations, and then drag him to his side. Only after this, through Trump, should be direct conversations with Zelanski.
Continuation of the material under the video
– Trump perceives Putin as his friend. Does friends are publicly offended? Of course not, “said the editorial office of Politico John Bolton, former national security advisor Trump.
Liana Fix, an expert for Europe and Russia in the independent organization of Council on Foreign Relations, believes that Putin is trying to impose a bright hierarchy on Istanbul's conversations. He only wants to talk to Trump, and send lower -ranking people to negotiations with Zelanski.
-From Putin's perspective, the normalization of American-Russian relations has the highest priority. At the same time, his tactics is not to suspend weapons and create facts in parallel in Ukraine. Russia has successfully used this tactic in Syria, “Fix said.
Pressure tool
John Bolton, however, draws attention to the fact that Trump's foreign policy “has no scheme, is created ad hoc.” In this situation, Putin can never be sure that he will be able to convince the US president to himself and set him against Zelanski.
Especially since for several weeks Moods among the Republicans in the US Congress clearly change to the detriment of Russia. – You don't have to be an expert to see a lack of honesty in negotiations. It is only a matter of time when the president and vice president of JD Vance consider Putin as a problem – says Michael McCaul, an influential republican politician dealing with foreign policy in the House of US representatives.
The US Senate is preparing sanctions against Putin. At the same time, the United States still has millions of dollars that can invest in weapons for Ukraine. “The combination of sanctions and more weapons can force Putin to undertake honest negotiations,” says McCaul.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
