President Donald Trump has claimed that he will be able to assess within the first two minutes of a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin whether a peace deal is possible in Ukraine. However, the situation is complicated by the refusal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to engage in negotiations, citing constitutional prohibitions against ceding Ukrainian territory.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said that Trump is strategically positioned to end the fighting in Ukraine, emphasizing that the killing has to end. “If there’s anybody who can confront and deal with and manage Putin, it is Donald Trump,” she stated. However, the article questions whether it is Putin who is managing Trump, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the possibility of any kind of settlement when Zelenskyy is refusing to participate, fearing that the Kremlin dictator is trying to deceive America.
Trump addressed this issue during a news conference on the federal takeover of the D.C. police department, lowering expectations and stating that he would be telling Putin to end the war. Despite his claims of being able to assess the situation quickly, Trump has a history of failing to follow through on threats of sanctions against Moscow, including previous deadlines that were not met. This has raised concerns about the credibility of his commitment to diplomatic efforts.
Puтиn has been diplomatically isolated since his illegal invasion of Ukraine, which has featured the deliberate killing of civilians. By inviting him to Alaska, Trump is granting Putin respect as a legitimate world leader, not a pariah. Putin’s plan has always been to make gains on the battlefield and hold onto all or most of that land in any settlement, which is why he has continued to bomb Ukraine, killing more civilians, even amidst discussions about peace.
Zelenskyy insists he cannot cede any land because it would violate the country’s constitution and create a political firestorm at home. Despite this, a recent poll indicates that 38 percent of Ukrainians are willing to give up some territory to end the war. Trump has talked about “some swapping of territories,” but Ukraine doesn’t have much to swap. The country took over 500 square miles in a surprise attack in the Russian area of Kursk, but it has dwindled to just four square miles, at a significant cost in casualties.
This could be a repeat of what happened when Russia seized Crimea in 2014. The world was outraged, but everything went back to normal. As for Putin, Trump has said, “I’d have a great call with him and then missiles would be lobbed into Kyiv.” “I’m going to be telling him to end this war.” He has also stated that he disagrees with what Zelenskyy has done, claiming he will try to get some territory back “for the good of Ukraine.”
“Probably in the first two minutes, I’ll know whether a deal can be made,” Trump said. “If not, I may leave and say good luck.” The article questions why Trump is granting Putin an audience on U.S. soil without any previous understanding, noting that Trump believes in face-to-face negotiations but it doesn’t always work. For all the love letters between him and Kim Jong-un, North Korea never budged on its nuclear program.
Trump has said of Putin and Zelenskyy, “Ultimately I’m going to put the two of them in a room.” Well, maybe. Even if Zelenskyy goes to Alaska, or a later meeting with Putin, he’s not going to agree to rewarding Russia for its military aggressiveness, giving land “to the occupier,” as he put it. Trump may blame Zelenskyy as the fall guy, but that doesn’t get us any closer to peace.
Besides, Zelenskyy would understandably want security guarantees. Otherwise, Putin could use a cease-fire to allow his forces to rest and recuperate, then attack again in six months or a year—a replay of the post-Crimea strategy. So much for settling the war in 24 hours.
It’s a bloody, frustrating, complicated war that has resulted in huge casualties for both sides. But it all stems from an illegal invasion by a dictator who insists that Ukraine has no right to exist.