Person dragging out Russia-Ukraine war is in White House — journalist

Journalist Vitaly Portnikov shared these views on Espreso TV.

"It's worth remembering that for Putin, Western weakness means a willingness to talk to him. I'm not saying that French President Emmanuel Macron shouldn't speak with Putin after President Trump did. I believe the very legitimization of talks with Putin by Trump is a serious mistake. For me, that's problem number one. Because when Putin sensed that the Americans didn't want any serious conversations with him, he behaved more cautiously. Now Trump's willingness to engage in dialogue is perceived by Putin as his own legitimization and an opportunity to ignore everyone else," Vitaly Portnikov commented.

According to him, we should watch what happens if dialogue at the European leaders' level suddenly resumes. How will Putin perceive this? As an opportunity to maneuver between Europeans and Americans and use one against the other? Or conversely, will he realize that Europe has its own firm position that won't align with Trump's? And that Europe will maintain this position even if Trump once again wants to "appease Putin with carrots."

"But either way, the negotiation process with Putin is a path toward conflict escalation and war prolongation. If we're looking for the person whose actions are actually dragging out the war in Ukraine and giving Putin confidence in tomorrow, that person is in the White House. Putin cannot be legitimized - I am absolutely certain of this," the journalist concluded.

• On January 15, American leader Donald Trump stated that currently Ukraine, not Russia, is hindering a potential deal to end the war.