Trump's plans for war in Ukraine could mean trouble for Putin - WP
Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US presidential candidate Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US presidential candidate Donald Trump's plans to end the war in Ukraine may be unacceptable to Russia. For Russian leader Vladimir Putin himself, this would be a very bad scenario, reports The Washington Post.
The newspaper emphasizes that the US election comes at a critical time for Putin, as he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy face growing pressure as the full-scale war has been going on for almost three years.
The WP notes that Trump's candidacy fits Moscow's agenda, as he has repeatedly criticized US spending on aid to Ukraine. However, one of the Russian officials told the newspaper on condition of anonymity that “the result of this election will not be a game changer for Russia.”
According to him, relations between the US and Russia have reached a dead end.
“And everyone is a hostage of it - even Putin,” the anonymous source said.
At the same time, the newspaper noted that Trump's victory could be associated with a risk for Russia. It is unclear whether Putin will agree to any deal proposed by Trump to end the war, which in turn could lead to a rift between them.
In particular, Trump's former advisers, Fred Fleitz and retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, have voiced a plan that would provide for a temporary ceasefire on the current front line. At the same time, Ukraine would be forced to enter into peace talks with Russia in order to continue receiving Western weapons.
These proposals have been sharply criticized for the transfer of Kyiv's territories to Russia, but analysts believe that “For Putin, this is a very bad scenario” because he “doesn't want territory. He wants Ukraine.”
In their opinion, possible negotiations between Russia and the United States over Ukraine will come to a standstill, and “Trump is never going to propose to Putin what he wants in Ukraine.”
Zelenskyy himself spoke about the possibility of Trump influencing the end of Russia's war against Ukraine through territorial concessions.
Recently, former US President Donald Trump and his vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance outlined a plan to end the war in Ukraine. They proposed a model of a frozen conflict with autonomous regions on both sides of the demilitarized zone, and Kyiv would remain outside NATO.
