Trump’s proposals align with Putin’s agenda: diplomat on potential U.S.-Russia meeting

Oleh Shamshur, diplomat and former Ambassador of Ukraine to the U.S. and France, shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

“There’s nothing surprising about the potential Trump-Putin meeting. Trump has already spoken about it, and it’s entirely realistic. Putin has declared his willingness to discuss Ukraine, but only with the United States, not Europeans. Trump’s proposals completely align with Putin’s approach. The key question is how the principle of ‘nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine’ will be implemented. That is crucial,” he noted.

Trump’s position, in general, is clear but insufficient for Putin, considering his plans for Ukraine’s four regions and other ambitions. However, what has been voiced by Vance, Kellogg, and Trump should appeal to Putin, Shamshur added.

“This includes a ceasefire along the line of contact, Ukraine’s renunciation of NATO membership, and maintaining Putin’s control over occupied territories. This is essentially a plan for Ukraine’s capitulation, which fits into Putin’s vision and gives him an opportunity to pause before launching a new phase of aggression against Ukraine and destabilizing Europe as a whole. So, Putin should be satisfied,” he said.

Trump has levers of influence over Putin’s position to compel negotiations, including providing aid to Ukraine and expanding the scope of such assistance. However, it will be interesting to see how this is implemented.

“The second important lever is strengthening U.S. economic sanctions against Russia. This is no less powerful than military measures, especially given that Russia’s economy is finally weakening,” the diplomat concluded.

• On January 7, Trump stated that Putin intends to meet with him but ruled out any meeting before the inauguration.
• Retired General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special representative for resolving the war in Ukraine, has been tasked with ending the war within 100 days of Trump’s inauguration.
• On January 10, Reuters reported that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced preparations for a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.