She said that she had a telephone conversation with Zelensky and asked whether there really was a turning point in Trump’s position and he accepted the arguments that Ukraine would not give up Donbass to the aggressor country of the Russian Federation, so now “he will put pressure on Putin” and not on Kyiv.
“Trump really agreed that the Ukrainian compromise is a stop to the fire on the front line,” Mazur quoted Zelensky. “And destructive statements from Moscow are a blow to the kindergarten [в Харькове] – and Putin’s failure to confirm his threats on the battlefield, in particular to seize the Donbass before October 15, as he intended, became the trigger for his decision on Lukoil and Rosneft.
According to Zelensky, “America’s sanctions strike looks even more catastrophic” after the 19th package of EU sanctions.
“The coordination turned out to be very successful. However, Trump still holds the negotiating window for Putin,” the president emphasized, whose words were retold by Mazur.
Context
The US Treasury imposed sanctions against Rosneft and Lukoil on October 22, explaining that Putin refuses to end the war in Ukraine, which the Americans called “senseless.” Trump at a press conference expressed hope that this would encourage Putin to negotiate.
Putin, in response to US sanctions, said that they “will not significantly affect the economic well-being of the country.” Trump commented: “I'm glad they feel that way. I'll say more in six months. We'll see how they handle it all.”
The media wrote on October 25 that the Trump Administration had prepared additional sanctions against the Russian Federation. The White House noted that Trump intends to take a break for several weeks and evaluate Russia’s reaction to the latest American measures.
The US special representative for negotiations with Ukraine during Trump's first presidential term, Kurt Volker, believes that the head of the White House still wants to reach an agreement with Putin.
