A post-election development that the two countries could be having a new front could be the fact that Trump called Putin to refrain from provoking the ongoing war in Ukraine. It was reported by the Washington Post on Sunday, with the paper explaining that Trump invited Putin to call him from his luxurious residence in Mar-a-Lago estate on Thursday days after his triumph against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
From the report, which close sources preferred anonymity during the conversation with Trump, it appears that Trump highlighted the US’s big military force in Europe. The president-elect was also quoted as enthusiastic about a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis shortly.
Republican Trump’s election as president has left the public in suspense on the extent of his commitment to the war. During his campaign, Trump showed his eagerness to end the conflict as soon as he gets to power, although he has not disclosed how he is going to do so. His call for the reconsideration of the quantity of money Washington has been providing Kyiv indicates that the US may be repositioning.
On Wednesday, Trump also spoke with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in a separate call. The call also involved Elon Musk, which Zelensky called an excellent conversation. The two sides agreed on further communication and cooperation at the highest level.
On the other hand, the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden has expressed intention of providing much-needed aid to Ukraine before Trump enters the White House on January 20. Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor, said on Sunday that the aim is to bolster Ukraine’s position on the battlefront and at the negotiation table when the $6 billion of remaining funding would be used.
The official Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, only said that the news about the situation is rather cautious, and Russia is ready to consider peace-oriented dialogue. “The signals are positive… At least he is discussing peace, not war,” Peskov said.
But Trump’s position regarding the American engagement in Ukraine remains contentious. Trump’s supporters have also said that US aid is for a pro-war lobby of arms manufacturers and hawks who doubt if the current regime serves America’s interests. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., even posted an Instagram clip of Zelensky and his father with the caption, “MAC: This is a message about the imminent loss of allowance: ‘You have 38 days to lose your allowance.”.
Former Trump advisor, Brian Lanza, says any peace deal may be reached with Ukraine losing face and having to surrender, in some shape or form, to Russian occupation and having to give up the idea of reclaiming Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. However, Lanza went forth to say that his comment did not necessarily mean that it was the position of Trump directly, although this explains the future course of action of the party.
But Ukraine, increasing pressure on which the Russian Federation is trying to pressure it into surrendering territory, has remained adamant. However, Zelensky stressed that in yielding territory, one would only appease Russia, an opinion shared by several European partners.
Trump mentioned the issue of territory only briefly when he spoke to Putin over the phone; information on the conversation is still sparse. Recently, both sides have been observed to be making various tactical moves, perhaps as they prepare for the next negotiations. As in previous days, there were more drone attacks this past weekend, with Russia firing 145 drones at Ukraine at night and reporting 34 intercepted Ukrainian drones over Moscow.
Greetings to Putin As the inauguration day draws nearer, the global community awaits to determine if Trump’s overtures can indeed inaugurate a new chapter in the bilateral relationship or if it is merely the eye of the storm.
[…] […]