Russia continues merely to simulate participation in peace negotiations, trying to impose its own conditions, while U.S. President Donald Trump has sufficient tools to compel the Kremlin to engage in genuine dialogue.
Source: Gazeta.UA
This was stated in a comment to “24 Kanal” by former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin. According to him, the internal situation in Russia is becoming more complicated, making Vladimir Putin’s regime less stable, yet Russian propaganda continues to artificially inflate the topic of “peace negotiations.”
Klimkin noted that for real negotiations, Russia would need to abandon attempts at systemic influence over Ukraine and Europe. However, in his assessment, the Kremlin is not ready for such a step and effectively remains in the “second league” of international politics.
At the same time, economic pressure on Russia is increasing. In particular, trade with China is declining due to slower economic growth in the PRC. Despite this, Putin can continue waging war against Ukraine “on credit,” counting on the exhaustion of the Ukrainian economy and infrastructure, while also actively applying psychological pressure.
The former foreign minister emphasized that it is currently disadvantageous for Donald Trump to make concessions to Russia. The U.S. president acts from a position of strength: conducting tough negotiations with India regarding Russian energy resources, as well as imposing sanctions on Lukoil and Rosneft, limiting the Kremlin’s geopolitical and economic maneuvering.
At the same time, Klimkin is skeptical about the chances of bringing Putin to the table for real negotiations with Ukraine. According to him, the Kremlin leader wants to negotiate exclusively with the U.S. president and does not provide any guarantees that any agreements with Trump will reflect the position of all of Russia.