Trump resists Putin's demands amid fragile Ukraine talks
Donald Trump did not agree to Vladimir Putin's "maximalist demands," which is a positive aspect of his conversation with the Russian leader, according to Andrew D’Anieri from the Atlantic Council.
US President Donald Trump held a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin, during which the main topic was the situation in Ukraine. Although Trump did not secure significant concessions from the Russian leader, Atlantic Council analyst Andrew D’Anieri highlighted 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, as well as the initiation of negotiations on further steps. However, a broader, 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine had previously agreed to, 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 demands from Putin such as the demilitarisation of Ukraine, stopping military and intelligence support, and lifting sanctions against Moscow. The expert considered this a positive aspect of the conversation, given the US administration's previous policy.
Concerns about normalisation of relations
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 normalising relations with Russia, which could give Moscow room to manipulate negotiations regarding Ukraine.
The Russians may say: if you meet our demands concerning Ukraine, we will offer various things in our broader relations (...) I think it's a ruse, and the US should not fall for this kind of deceit in future negotiations — warned the expert.
Russian attacks on Ukraine
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 Trump will secure concessions from the Russians in the future because so far, as he claims, Putin has received practically nothing besides a partial ceasefire. The expert emphasised that after the conversation, Russian troops continued to attack energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
