Trump recognizes that his efforts about peace in Ukraine could fail: “I hope President Putin will be cute”
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he hopes for his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to “Be Draguț” and to advance to the end of the war in Ukraine, but he admitted that the Kremlin leader may not want to conclude an agreement.
Trump admitted that peace efforts in Ukraine could be in vain photo AFP
Despite the optimistic note in which the Trump-Putin summit ended on Friday in Alaska and then at the White House Trump's meetings with Zelenski and the group of European leaders who came there to support the latter, the divergences remain numerous and difficult to solve. For example, Zelenski rejects any transfer of territories to Russia, which on its side rejects any troops from NATO countries as a security guarantee for Ukraine, while the latter European allies further provides all the support if it continues the war, according to Agerpres.
“I don't think it will be a problem, to be honest with you. I think Putin has been tired of this (he was tired of war – n.red). I think everyone was tired of it, but it is never known.”Trump said on Tuesday in an interview at Fox News.
“In the coming weeks we will find out about (what intentions – n. Red.) President Putin (…) It is possible that he does not want to conclude an understanding”and if so he might face a “difficult situation”added the US President, an opinion that contrasts with a statement to surprised Monday due to a microphone left open before meeting with European leaders and said that he believes that Putin just wants to reach an agreement for the conclusion of the war.
The relationships between Putin and Zelenski could be, however, “a little better”Trump continued in the interview, motivating that if he did not believe this he would not have tried to get a bilateral meeting between the two, a meeting he announced after the discussions on Monday, but which was not confirmed by Russia, which transmitted that such a meeting must be prepared carefully.
Trump also spoke about his warm relationship with Putin, but acknowledged the possibility that his efforts for a Russian-Ukrainian peace agreement will fail.
“I hope President Putin will be cute, and if not, he will be in a difficult situation. And I also hope that President Zelenski will do what he has to do. He has to show a little flexibility.”warned the US president on his two counterparts.
Regarding the security guarantees for Ukraine that Kiev and its European allies require as part of any peace agreement, Trump said that although Europe is willing to send troops in a certain form, the United States will not do so, but it could provide another type assistance.
“There will be a certain form of (guarantee of) security. But this cannot be NATO,” the US president said. “They (the European allies of Ukraine – n. Red.) Are willing to send troops on the ground. We are willing to help them with some things, we could probably speak especially of air missions.”he indicated vaguely.
President Zelenski told the press after the meetings held at the White House on Monday that, in about 10 days, his country's allies will put on paper the form that the security guarantees could take.
It seems that at the Alaska summit the Russian president would have given up the categorical opposition to the provision of security guarantees by Western states, but outside NATO and provided Ukraine gave up Russia the entire region of Donbas, which Zelenski still refuses.
The idea of conducting a contingent of foreign troops in Ukraine, as a form of security guarantee for this country, was intensely promoted by the French President Emmanuel Macron and by the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who also created a so-called “Volunteers' coalition” (or “Coalition of will”) made up of supporting countries of Ukraine and who would be willing to participate with troops or other contributions to such a force, however, initiative rejected by Russia.
