"U.S. will act decisively, retreat isn’t in Trump’s playbook" — Ukrainian MP on Russia stalling peace talks

Ukrainian MP and Chairman of the Permanent Delegation of Ukraine to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Yehor Cherniev, shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"In Jeddah, Ukraine demonstrated its commitment to peace talks and lasting stability. Now, the United States has no complaints against us. The remaining questions concern Russia. It is doubtful that Trump might allow Putin to stall and manipulate the situation for his domestic audience, as he does not want to appear pressured. That’s why Putin is trying to buy time. However, as we have seen since his inauguration, Trump is an active leader who strives for immediate results. He is unlikely to tolerate delays lasting weeks or months," he said.

The United States will take concrete steps. It may be coercive measures, bargaining or exchanging for something else, but there will be actions, Cherniev said.

“It's not in Trump's playbook to back down. Moreover, according to many sources, Trump seeks to gain a reputation as a peacemaker and even hopes to win a Nobel Prize for establishing peace in Ukraine,” he added.

Regarding the results of the upcoming talks between Trump and Putin, the lawmaker suggested that Putin would not give up on the long-awaited dialogue with the United States. Since 2022, Russia has stated that it wants to negotiate not with Ukraine, but with the United States, believing that it is leading this war. However, the agenda of these talks between the U.S. and Russia is likely to be broader than ending the war in Ukraine. 

“The Arctic, lifting of sanctions, access to Russian minerals, and other topics may be discussed. Putin is unlikely to risk going against Trump and saying that Russia is not ready for a truce or peace. Trump has leverage over Putin. The situation can develop in two ways: either the U.S. will put pressure on Russia, perhaps by offering certain agreements, for example, in the energy sector, or Trump can step back, saying that he tried but failed, and let Europe handle it. However, this would mean recognizing Putin's victory, which is contrary to Trump's character,” Cherniev summarized.

• On March 11, the Ukrainian and American delegations met in Jeddah, following which Kyiv agreed to a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, and the United States agreed to immediately resume intelligence sharing and security assistance.
• Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin stated that Russia agrees with the proposal to cease hostilities in Ukraine but emphasized that “this must lead to a long-term peace.”
• Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of setting a clear deadline for the ceasefire agreement and suggested that it might take more than 30 days. According to him, if Russia violates a possible silence agreement, Ukraine will continue to defend itself.
• U.S. President Donald Trump announced that on Tuesday, March 18, he plans to hold a conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin regarding ending the war in Ukraine, as well as discussing territories and power plants.