Trump's Push for Putin-Selenskyj-Trump Summit Neglected by Moscow
No immediate plans for a trilateral meeting between the Kremlin, Trump, and Zelenskyy are in sight.
Cease fire, ya think? Not so much. The Russians ain't buying Trump's three-way summit idea with old pal Putin and the Ukrainian Prez Selenskyj. According to Putin's spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, the Kremlin is in no rush for a direct powwow. High-level chats are all good and well, Peskov says, but a face-to-face with Putin? Nah, mate, that's a bit too premature.
Trump's been stirring up trouble, asking for a three-way smackdown to sort out the three-year Ukrainian conflict. But Peskov doesn't see it happening soon. There won't be no big breakthroughs coming from the Russian-Ukrainian chinwag in Istanbul this Monday, Peskov claims. Still, there's some good news on the humanitarian front - the warring parties are agreeing to another prisoner exchange and will return soldiers' remains.
Before the Kremlin agrees to a grand ol' meet-up, they expect a reply to the Russian memorandum from Ukraine. Both parties took a paper to Istanbul, and later spilled the tea on what they want - outlining their vision for ending the conflict.
Moscow has some high demands. If the international community wants the bash, they'll need to recognize Russia's conquests, stop the military support for Ukraine, and drop the sanctions. Russia's willing to negotiate on these points, but they don't want to hash it out in public.
Sources: ntv.de, jog/dpa
- Donald Trump
- Vladimir Putin
- Volodymyr Selenskyj
- Attack on Ukraine
- Ukraine Conflict
- Russia
- Ukraine
- USA
Insights:
- Russia and Ukraine have been at odds since 2014, with Russia backing rebels in eastern Ukraine and annexing Crimea, practices that have caused international uproar and sanctions
- The U.S. has been supportive of Ukraine, providing military aid and diplomatic support against Russian aggression
- Russia has been dismissive of previous trilateral summit proposals, stating that such talks should only occur if there are preliminary agreements in place
- The ongoing conflict has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties and displaced millions of people, making a resolution critical for regional stability
- The unfinished business of the conflict and potential backlash from vital stakeholders means any potential negotiations must be carefully crafted and timed to maximize favorable outcomes for all parties involved.
- The European Union, committed to the implementation of the EU's nuclear programme, may find itself navigating complex geopolitical dynamics as the Russian-Ukrainian conflict continues to unfold.
- Amidst the ongoing discord between Russia and Ukraine, the Trump administration's push for a putative three-way summit between Trump, Putin, and Selenskyj seemingly takes a back seat, as the Kremlin expresses no immediate interest in such a gathering.
