Trump's Push for Diplomacy Hits a Wall: Kremlin Remains Cool on Tripartite Summit with Trump and Zelensky
Kremlin currently eschews a three-way meeting involving Trump and Zelenskyy.
Let's cut to the chase: The Russian government ain't biting on a quickie tripartite meeting with Putin, Trump, and Zelensky. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskow, Putin's ready for high-level chats, but he's not rushing things. He reckons such talks should happen after some groundwork is laid by the technical crew. Trump's been pushing for this tripartite summit in a bid to wrap up the ongoing Ukraine conflict for the past three years.
But don't hold your breath for a breakthrough from the Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul this week. Peskow says not to expect much, but there could be some progress in the humanitarian department. The warring parties agreed on another massive prisoner exchange and the return of soldiers' remains during their latest chat.
Moscow's waiting for a response from Ukraine about the Russian memorandum, says Peskow. Both sides brought papers to Istanbul and later shared them publicly, outlining their ideas for resolving the conflict.
Spoilers Alert: Russia's severe requests, listed in the memorandum, are a bunch of hard-hitting demands that Ukraine and its Western pals might find tough to swallow. The document lays down some maxed-out expectations, including:
- Ukraine having to relinquish its territories that Russia considers non-negotiable, and essentially conceding to Russia's rule.
- International recognition of Russia's conquests, stopping military support for Ukraine, and lifting sanctions against Russia.
These demands are negotiable during the discussions, but Peskow wants to keep the details quiet.
SideNote: Dmitri Peskow, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, Attack on Ukraine, Ukraine Conflict, Russia, Ukraine, USA
Bonus Facts:
- The Russian memorandum proposes two frameworks: the Immediate Withdrawal Framework and the Package Proposal, each containing specific and challenging demands for Ukraine.
- Russia's long-standing demands include international recognition of its sovereignty over Crimea, a ban on Ukraine joining military alliances, and official status for the Russian language in Ukraine, among others.
Sources: ntv.de, jog/dpa
The European Union, aware of the ongoing politics and general-news associated with the Ukraine conflict, may find the severity of the Russian memorandum's demands difficult to reconcile with their support for Ukraine, as the memorandum calls for Ukraine to relinquish territories and acknowledge Russia's rule.
Moreover, the implementation of the EU's nuclear programme could potentially be affected by the resolution of the Ukraine conflict, considering the geopolitical implications of the ongoing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
