President Donald Trump has been attempting to broker an end to the three-year conflict, having pledged to bring about a peace deal “on day one” of his second presidency.
So what is Trump’s plan for Ukraine – and is it realistic?
He repeated his pledge to end the war within 24 hours of his presidency 53 times, according to CNN’s count, though has since claimed this was in “jest”.
“I think he wants to be seen as a respected world leader. I don’t think he actually cares ultimately, about any of the issues at stake,” professor Monten told The i Paper.
“Ultimately, I think his backers knew all along it was showmanship, but many don’t really care if he could deliver it.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral (Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry/ AFP)
But she also suggested Trump wanted to end the war in Ukraine to improve the US’s economic prospects.
Arms sales block could be negotiating tactic
The Pentagon announced this week that it would be halting weapons sales to Ukraine, which officials said was due to concerns over the US’s own stockpiles.
As Trump’s efforts to bring about a ceasefire continue to stall, some experts suggested it could be an attempt to exert pressure on Ukraine to agree to Russian demands.
Earlier this year, Trump temporarily suspended military aid to Ukraine after a notorious spat with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, who Trump accused of being ungrateful.
Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in a tense meeting in the Oval Office in February (Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty)“Really, who knows? The foreign policy making process and the Trump administration is a little bit more chaotic, and there aren’t the policy process behind a lot of these decisions as there might have been for previous administrations. It really is just at his whim, more or less moment by moment,” professor Monten said.
The Us has shared intelligence with Ukraine since the start of the war, withholding it would have huge consequences.
“I don’t think this is to force an agreement. It’s more, I think, to do with his domestic situation, his military industry, money, and of course, the fact that this support had been approved by Joe Biden.”
Hundreds of people were killed before the US and Qatar brokered a ceasefire between the pair.
“I don’t think he ever cared about Ukraine; I think he cares about American interests, and Ukraine has little to offer. He has a minerals deal because he had to kind of show some returns for US investment,” she said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands with US President Donald Trump after signing the Abraham Accords in 2020 (Photo: Tom Brenner/Reuters)
Garson also suggested that the conflict in the Middle East may be taking up more US resource.
“Trump will be looking at where the US’s interests lie commercially, economically when working out the balance of support. He sees economic opportunity for the US in the Middle East; you can see that in the Abraham Accords [a Trump-brokered deal establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and other Middle Eastern states], in deals over technology.
Trump feels ‘extreme frustration’ towards Putin
Trump alarmed allies with his initial warmth towards Putin and hostility to Ukraine, including falsely claiming the Kyiv had started the war.
Morten said Trump’s apparently pro-Russian stance is a “mystery” which has led to speculation about possibly Kremlin collusion, with some suggesting it was to charm Putin to the negotiating table.
“Part of the back and forth is that he does have the sympathy to Putin, but he doesn’t want to appear to be Putin’s lackey.”
square DIPLOMACY Exclusive'I've been in a room with Putin – this is how you negotiate with him'
Read More
“His only real measure of influence over the conflict is by essentially forcing Ukraine to accept a bad deal.”
“What matters are the actions and not what he says. The things he posts online, he’s not saying to Putin. Everything he has to say to Putin, he’s not going to say it in public.”
In the ceasefire negotiations, the team must “find a couple of sweeteners” to enable Putin to show the Russian people that the deal is good for them, Brenton told The i Paper.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( What is Trump’s end game in Ukraine and how he can never tame Putin )
Also on site :