Even so, “what looks like a growing consensus in the West that some form of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine is coming closer doesn’t always take account of whether Russia and Ukraine themselves might see negotiations as viable or even useful,” Keir Giles, a defense analyst at London’s Chatham House think tank, told NBC News.
While European leaders have accelerated planning for a worst-case scenario in which the Kremlin pushes troops further into the continent and Washington does not come to their aid, Trump has made increasingly strong threats against his Russian counterpart.
Trump’s claim that he would end the Ukraine war in one day after taking office did not come to pass, although members of his national security team have in recent weeks acknowledged the difficulties of brokering a possible peace accord.
“Let’s set it at 100 days and move all the way back and figure a way we can do this in the near term to make sure that the solution is solid, it’s sustainable, and that this war ends so that we stop the carnage,” retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s pick to serve as special envoy to Ukraine, told Fox News last month.
Still, the conflict has shown no signs of de-escalating despite Trump’s departure from the warmer sentiments he conveyed during his first term.
“If we don’t make a ‘deal,’ and soon,” Trump said last week in a social media post, “I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries.”
That shift in tone toward Russia is a “wildcard” in efforts by the Trump administration to end the war, Giles said, and “a striking and remarkable shift from his first term in office.”
“Observers of Trump have noticed that what he says does not always translate directly into what he directs his administration to do,” he told NBC News, adding that even a superficial change in tone is “a cause for Ukraine and its friends to have limited optimism.”
Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian state press Monday that no one from the Trump administration had so far reached out to the Kremlin to set up a meeting with Putin.
For his part, Zelenskyy called Trump’s threats of sanctions “just and fair” in an interview on Fox News on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Russian troops continue to make territorial gains in Ukraine after capturing the village of Dvorichna in northeastern Kharkiv, the army said Tuesday.
In a recent statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being ‘afraid’ of peace talks. Zelenskyy expressed his frustration with Putin’s reluctance to engage in meaningful discussions to end the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine.
Despite numerous attempts to initiate negotiations, Zelenskyy claims that Putin has continuously avoided the opportunity to work towards a peaceful resolution. The Ukrainian President emphasized the importance of diplomacy and dialogue in resolving conflicts, but criticized Putin for his apparent fear of engaging in constructive talks.
Zelenskyy’s accusation comes amidst escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides blaming each other for the recent increase in violence in the region. Despite international efforts to broker a ceasefire, the situation remains volatile and unresolved.
As the conflict continues to impact the lives of civilians in Eastern Ukraine, Zelenskyy’s call for peace talks is a reminder of the urgent need for a diplomatic solution to end the bloodshed and suffering. It remains to be seen whether Putin will heed Zelenskyy’s plea and engage in meaningful discussions to bring an end to the conflict.
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Zelenskyy, Putin, peace talks, Ukraine, Russia, conflict resolution, international relations, diplomatic negotiations, political tensions
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