Recent events showed that Trump is hellbent on achieving peace. Some say he is pro-Russian, but truth likely in the fact he represents isolationist Americans who dislike any foreign involvement whatsoever. Trump ponders to this group's desire to "end war as fast as possible". Americans like it fast after all
For Ukraine that means that battle will move from battlefields to negotiation table. Russia will try to get on negotiation table what their troops failed to conquer using clever arguments to disguise their imperialist ambitions as something Trump could agree with. Ukraine should come up with their own clever arguments against anything Russia likely to demand while possibly adding some demands of their own. This is a task for someone with good communication abilities, perhaps even someone like Kuchma or Timoshenko should be present at negotiation table to argue Ukrainian cause.
America is very far away from Russia and Ukraine both geographically and mentally. Americans hardly understand even UK, that is close to them culturally. All they "know" about Russia and Ukraine are bunch of myth and a few tall stories.
That was true of Biden's administration as well. It did not matter though as Biden simply deferred to UK to explain things to him in simple terms. Instead of explaining the long history between Russia and Ukraine that led to this war, Brits put it simply as "Ukraine fights for freedom against Russian aggression, send money and weapons to help."
Trump does not incline to just trust what Europeans say, but he himself knows too little so his diplomacy stumbles into strange debris. He wants to end war but has no idea how to approach the problem. Lack of understanding of Ukraine situation makes him open towards exploitation by a cunning enough negotiator. Putin and his crew are just such cunning negotiator.
Russia clearly sees that as an opportunity to get concessions on the negotiation table. Russian diplomats managed to get on Trump good side and convinced him that it is Zelenski who does not want peace.
Instead of presenting Trump with outrageous bucket list of demands, like they did to Ukraine and Europe at the beginning of the war, they tell Trump they want peace and democracy. However, as one team of Russian negotiators smother Rubio and other Trump officials with assurances of good will, the other one keep shouting the same old demands to Ukrainians and Europeans. A clever tactic to divide the US and Europe.
Trump does not know details of Russian original ultimatum to Ukraine. Russia pretends like it did not happen at all, acts in front of Trump like they want nothing of sorts, while at the same time signaling to Europeans and Ukrainians that these demands are still on the table and there will be no peace until Russia gets it all.
Despite pointlessness of negotiations with Russia, Ukraine and Europe has to once again play this game. Coalition of the Willing (Ukraine and Europe) should bring best negotiators and destroy Russia in this diplomatic game. Russia's evil intentions have to be exposed in this way or Trump and his administration will never realize the truth and will sleepwalk into giving Russia everything it wants.
Trump administration on the other hand should insist that Russia officially refute its original demands to Ukraine and Europe. That can reassure Ukrainians and Europeans that new negotiations will not be a simple repetition of the 2022 where Russia demanded what amounted to capitulation of Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
Hopefully we will get some progress here.
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