Trump resists Putin's maximalist demands in tense talks

U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin, the main topic of which was the situation in Ukraine. Although Trump did not obtain significant concessions from the Russian leader, Atlantic Council analyst Andrew D’Anieri emphasized that he did not yield to Putin's "maximalist demands."

In a White House statement following the conversation, it was noted that the leaders agreed on a ceasefire regarding attacks on infrastructure and energy installations and the initiation of negotiations on further steps. However, a broader, 30-day ceasefire, to which Ukraine had previously agreed, was not announced.

As D'Anieri stated, this situation is indicative of the White House's stance on Russia's war against Ukraine. He believes both the administration and Trump himself have previously made numerous one-sided concessions to Russia without securing any tangible benefits in return. According to the analyst, as reported by the Polish Press Agency, consequently, many individuals focused on U.S. national security experienced a sense of relief that he refrained from offering even further advantages to the Russian side.

D’Anieri pointed out that Trump did not agree to such demands from Putin as the demilitarization of Ukraine, stopping military and intelligence support, and lifting sanctions against Moscow. The expert considered this a positive aspect of the conversation, given the U.S. administration's previous policy.

After the conversation, the Kremlin informed that Putin agreed to halt the shelling of Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days but demanded a complete cessation of Western military aid to Ukraine. D’Anieri expressed concerns that the Trump administration is opening up to normalizing relations with Russia, which could give Moscow room to manipulate in negotiations regarding Ukraine.

The Russians might say: if you accommodate our demands regarding Ukraine, we will offer you various things in our broader relations (...) I think it’s a ploy, and the US should not fall for these kinds of ruses in future negotiations, the expert warned.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has repeatedly claimed that it does not attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, even though Russian missiles often hit residential buildings, energy installations, hospitals, and schools. The attacks on energy infrastructure were part of a coordinated campaign.

D’Anieri expressed hope that in the future Trump will obtain concessions from the Russians because so far he has received practically nothing besides a partial ceasefire. The expert emphasized that after the conversation, Russian troops continued to attack energy infrastructure in Ukraine.