Trump considers lifting Ukraine restrictions to pressure Russia
Donald Trump is "seriously considering" lifting all the restrictions imposed on Ukraine during Joe Biden's presidency, reports the "Kyiv Post." "President [Trump] believes that the current status-quo does not serve our common interests of bringing Russia to the [negotiation] table," claims a source from the White House.
All the previously imposed restrictions – whether already eased or not – are currently under the review, states the "Kyiv Post" informant.
The decision is driven by Donald Trump's dissatisfaction with the current "status quo" of the war and the difficulty of bringing Russia to the negotiating table.
Final decisions on this matter are expected to be made this week in Washington, where a meeting will take place between Trump administration representatives and a delegation from Berlin.
Decision at the Washington meeting
According to the newspaper's source, the head of German diplomacy, Johann Wadephul, plans to visit the USA.
On Monday, Wadephul told the German news program "Tagesschau" that Putin "doesn’t want peace, he wants to continue the war, and we cannot allow him to do that."
Wadephul further indicated that if Berlin makes the final decision to transfer Taurus missiles to Ukraine, the public will not be informed about this step. This aims to ensure that "There will be reaction from the West, and I think also from the United States of America," the minister pointed out.
Analyst points to potential targets
The decision to lift restrictions could help Ukraine in attacking targets deep inside Russia, notes American analyst Jorge Rivero in an interview with "Kyiv Post."
The relaxation of restrictions could allow Kyiv to target military installations within Russian territory, including airbases responsible for launching Geran-2 drones and strategic bombers that have conducted sustained strikes against Ukrainian cities, he said.
This policy shift could further authorize Ukrainian forces to engage Russian command and control nodes, as well as logistical arteries deep inside Russia, with precision-guided munitions, he added.
