Trump's Monday call with Putin will shatter illusions about Russia, says Ukraine's Presidential Office
Photo: Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Any communication between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin should only be expected to result in one thing: the final loss of illusions about Russia, informs Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
According to Podolyak, it is clear that Russia is not ready to end the war without coercion. The country is also not prepared to agree to an unconditional, comprehensive ceasefire.
"On the contrary, we see that Russia is increasing the amount of resources it is putting into this war. Today, there was a terrible record: 273 drones were used. They targeted exclusively civilian populations. We see increased activity in certain directions," Podolyak said.
Podolyak also noted that Trump has a fundamentally different diplomatic strategy — "commercial diplomacy." The advisor explained that in this case, Trump acts on the principle of "if it benefits us, then we will make certain deals." Podolyak believes Trump is using this approach during his visit to the Middle East.
"At the same time, he reserves the possibility of negotiating with Russia, which explains the cautious rhetoric and soft comments. I don't see the point in this because, unlike the Middle East, Russia is a country that is not about commerce, deals, or direct profits — it's only about war. So, the loss of illusions should follow these phone conversations about Russia. With Russia, you will not gain profits, only reputational damage. I hope this becomes completely clear to Mr. Trump in this conversation," Podolyak said.
Trump plans to call Putin and Zelenskyy
Recently, US President Donald Trump said he would call Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. He plans to discuss the war in Ukraine and a number of other issues.
Trump also said he would speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Later, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the phone call is being arranged.
