What to expect from new Trump-Putin call? Political analyst explains
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
A phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin is unlikely to lead to a diplomatic breakthrough or any significant progress toward ending the war in Ukraine, said political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko in a commentary to RBC-Ukraine’s YouTube channel.
The expert noted that this is not the first such communication between the two leaders - Trump and Putin have spoken at least three times before, but those conversations did not produce any tangible outcomes.
"Frankly speaking, I have no high expectations for this phone call," Fesenko said.
According to him, Trump does not believe Russia holds enough trump cards, but he views Ukraine’s position as even more difficult.
Fesenko suggests that the most likely outcome of the call will be an agreement to hold a meeting between the US and Russian delegations. Such talks may be needed to coordinate the format, date, and location of a personal meeting between Trump and Putin, which Trump has repeatedly initiated.
What Trump might discuss with Putin
According to Fesenko, Trump will likely mention or broadly promote the American peace proposal known as the 22 points of Keith Kellogg. This plan had previously been delivered to Moscow, notably through Trump’s Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, who made several visits to Russia. However, as The Financial Times reported, Putin rejected the proposal at the time.
"It could be pushed again, taken as a basis for launching negotiations around it," the expert suggested.
At the same time, Fesenko emphasized that he does not expect "a breakthrough or a miracle in ending the war," but also does not foresee any betrayal.
Potential risks of a Trump-Putin call
According to the expert, potential risks may not surface during the phone conversation, but could emerge later, during a possible in-person meeting between Trump and Putin.
"When both delegations are present, it’s possible that Putin could attempt to offer Trump some unconventional peace proposal," he suggested.
However, he emphasized that no compromise can be implemented without Ukraine’s consent.
"For now, I only expect the continuation of US-Russia talks, and later - another round of negotiations in Istanbul. Honestly, I’m not expecting a major breakthrough there either," the expert concluded.
Trump announces calls with Putin and Zelenskyy
Following the talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, Donald Trump announced on social media that he would call Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later confirmed that preparations for the phone call were underway. Today, he clarified that the conversation between Trump and Putin would take place at 5:00 p.m.
Trump also announced plans to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
It is known that Trump has already started a conversation with Putin - read more about this in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
