Ukrainian politician: Trump can't blame Ukraine for failed peace talks

He shared this opinion during a broadcast on Espreso.

"I believe Donald Trump will try to present to his audience the benefits of a deal with Ukraine. And that position is favorable for us. Because it means that the question posed by Rubio — 'you' — is addressed not to us, but to Russia. In other words, it's not Ukraine that's hindering peace initiatives, but Putin himself," Rybachuk explained.

The politician noted that Trump will not be able to shift the blame for failed negotiations with Russia onto Europeans or Ukraine.

"Recently, I had a very interesting conversation at a conference with a senior analyst from the Heritage Foundation. They were the ones who wrote the 2025 program for Trump, which he publicly distanced himself from but is now following point by point. So, I asked him whether Trump has any leverage over Putin, because it seems to us that Putin simply ignores Trump. He replied that Trump could easily crush Putin. So, if Trump does have tools to pressure Putin, the question is whether he has the political will to use them. I couldn’t ask the analyst directly about such things, but his tone and explanation suggested that Trump’s patience is not endless. That’s why, personally, I understand that Trump won’t be able to sell his failure as the fault of Europeans or Ukrainians," he added.

• On Friday, April 18, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that U.S. President Donald Trump may abandon attempts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine if there are no clear signs within a few days that such a deal is possible.