A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump is “essential for numerous reasons,” according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who stated this on Monday, though no date has been set yet.
He mentioned that such a meeting is definitely being considered.
Peskov stated that it needs to be properly prepared, which demands effort from various experts.
But what does “efforts” encompass? First and foremost, the Kremlin’s commitment to a ceasefire in its war against Ukraine, says Kurt Volker, former US special representative for Ukraine negotiations under Trump.
During an interview with Euronews at the Kyiv Security Forum, Volker stated that the U.S. president wishes to meet with his Russian counterpart, though this meeting would only occur following a established truce in Ukraine.
Trump aims to bring an end to the conflict, after which he intends to restore relations with Russia. He believes that integrating Russia back into the worldwide economic system should be possible; this would involve conducting various business transactions with them. However, according to Volker, Putin must cease hostilities before such steps can be taken.
As Putin isn’t taking those steps, the chances of a Trump-Putin meeting seem increasingly distant.
Between 2017 and 2019, Volker acted as the chief negotiator for Ukraine affairs in Washington. This period coincided with Putin’s final encounters with Trump, which took place during the summits in Helsinki and later at the G20 meeting in Osaka.
‘ Putin is attempting to stroke President Trump’s ego.’
Volker states that the Russian president is attempting to appeal to President Trump’s ego by suggesting they can have a one-on-one meeting and resolve issues personally.
At the beginning of his second term, Trump stated that he would meet with Putin “very soon” following his inauguration.
“I believe President Trump views himself as a powerful figure capable of achieving such goals. However, he is displeased with Putin’s inability to conclude the conflict. In my opinion, this means that the meeting won’t take place unless the conditions shift,” Volker stated.
Volker informed Euronews about a considerable shift in Washington’s stance concerning Putin’s readiness to stop the conflict in Ukraine. “The U.S. and Ukraine now concur on demanding a complete cessation of hostilities for thirty days,” he stated. This temporary truce could lead to a lasting one. However, Volker pointed out that Putin seems unimpressed by this proposal.”
“He isn’t truly committed to ending the conflict. You can feel this sentiment increasingly in Washington, where people are starting to acknowledge this and confront Putin, so to speak, by stating that Russia is asking for too much and refusing to agree to a ceasefire,” Volker noted.
In response, the Russian leader declared a three-day “one-sided truce” aimed at safeguarding and ensuring the success of the Victory Day parade in Moscow scheduled for Friday.
“Putin isn’t genuinely committed to a truce or halting his assaults,” Volker stated, suggesting that Putin might be aiming for a political statement, particularly since it coincides with the military parade in Moscow. He also expressed doubt, saying he’d be “astonished if he adheres to his own declared ceasefires.”
What actions will Washington take next?
This week, US Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that discussions aimed at ending Russia’s conflict with Ukraine have not progressed as per Washington’s original hopes.
“At present, the Russians are demanding specific conditions and concessions to resolve the conflict. We believe these demands are excessive,” Vance stated.
The US administration could now “intensify its stance on Russia’s aggressive actions and their refusal to agree to a truce,” Volker said to Euronews.
This will be the initial step, succeeded by “an increased focus on imposing sanctions on Russia.” These may encompass secondary sanctions “targeted at entities assisting Russia in circumventing the initial penalties related to oil, gas, and finance sectors.”
Most crucially, Washington plans to keep providing weapons to Ukraine. “This time, it won’t come from taxpayers’ funds. The period where government spending was used solely to support Ukraine seems to have ended. However, I believe loan assistance for Ukraine might be possible, similar to the lend-lease policies implemented for the UK during World War II,” he explained.
Although he did not completely dismiss the idea of confiscating Russia’s frozen assets and utilizing those funds to purchase weapons for Ukraine, “Canada seems to be heading in that direction, and I wouldn’t be shocked if the U.S. follows suit,” Ambassador Volker stated.
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