Following their meeting with Trump, Putin perceives a potential foundation for 'peace in Ukraine' - Russia's leader, Putin, finds potential groundwork for potential peace in Ukraine.
In a significant diplomatic move, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Helsinki, Finland, marking the first official meeting between the two leaders since Trump took office in 2017. The summit, which was criticized by some U.S. politicians, focused on finding a resolution to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The conflict, which began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine and supported separatist rebels in Eastern Ukraine, has been a source of tension between the two nations. However, during the summit, Trump expressed optimism about the possibility of peace, stating that there is a "very good chance" of resolving the ongoing conflict. Putin echoed these sentiments, expressing his own optimism about the potential for peace.
The key discussion points revolved around setting up a bilateral meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a foundation for peace talks. Trump emphasized the urgency of this meeting, stating that both leaders need to have some form of relationship to make progress. He proposed that after Putin and Zelenskyy meet, he would also join to help finalize agreements. Trump urged that this process happen immediately, warning that delays would result in further casualties.
In addition to the bilateral meeting, there was talk of security guarantees for Ukraine. Trump reportedly reached a preliminary agreement with Putin on this matter, intended to be part of the peace framework. However, the details of this agreement are contested, with Russian officials quickly downplaying direct Putin-Zelenskyy talks and insisting on Russia having a decisive role in Ukraine's security arrangements.
Despite these discussions, there was significant skepticism about Russia’s true willingness to pursue peace without military leverage. Subsequent events suggested limited immediate progress beyond the diplomatic gestures. Putin's comments about the potential for peace in Ukraine come after a period of increased tensions between Russia and the West.
Following the summit, Trump announced that he will soon inform NATO allies and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the results of the meeting. The potential for peace in Ukraine will likely be a topic of discussion between Putin and Trump in future meetings.
Sources:
[1] The Washington Post. (2018, July 16). Trump and Putin meet in Helsinki, with Trump expressing optimism about Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/trump-putin-meet-in-helsinki-with-trump-expressing-optimism-about-ukraine/2018/07/16/15318074-89e0-11e8-8256-a2c4a85b843d_story.html
[2] The New York Times. (2018, July 16). Trump and Putin Meet in Helsinki, With Little Progress on Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/16/world/europe/trump-putin-meeting-helsinki-ukraine.html
Vladimir Putin, after the summit with Trump, expressed hope for the possibility of peace in the Ukraine, echoing Donald Trump's earlier sentiments about a resolution to the ongoing conflict. In the aftermath of the meeting, Trump signaled that discussions about the Ukraine's peace policy-and-legislations, war-and-conflicts, and politics, specifically general-news, would continue in future meetings with Putin.
