U.S. President Donald Trump has said Russian President Vladimir Putin is looking to make a deal to end the conflict in Ukraine.
Trump said on Wednesday, 9th September, that he had a “great” telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart earlier in the week, discussing the possibility of an end to Russia’s full-scale invasion.
ATACMS Like Used in Ukraine Creative Commons
However, questions remain about the likelihood of an agreement between the two warring nations after four and a half years of conflict.
The Art of the Deal
En route to Dallas, TX, for the Republican National Convention, about the likelihood of what he had with President Putin the previous day.
Describing the call as a “great” conversation, Trump said: “He is wanting to make a deal, and if Zelensky is wanting to make a deal, that’d be very nice,” before boarding Air Force One.
Trump and Putin spoke for exactly an hour on Tuesday, with Kremlin foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov sharing details of the call.
“Donald Trump clearly conveyed the idea that an early end to the conflict would be desirable,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
The U.S. President also emphasized the “enormous benefits” of developing U.S.-Russian trade and economic ties, adding: “Donald Trump is interested in achieving a breakthrough during his presidency.”
Trump’s insistence on an end to the war “as soon as possible” was repeated during the call.
According to Ushakov, the U.S. President said a swift conclusion “would immediately open up impressive and far-reaching prospects for relations between the U.S. and Russia to be fully restored.”
Optimism Rising
Throughout the course of the conflict, there’s been little hope of a permanent conclusion to hostilities.
Talks between Moscow and Kyiv have been largely sparse, with no direct face-to-face talks for three years since initial discussions in the invasion’s infancy in 2022.
Little in the way of tangible progress has been made during trilateral meetings since Trump returned to the White House. Even temporary ceasefire agreements, often to mark Orthodox holidays, have ended abruptly in recent weeks; there’s been a small sense of optimism, with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner making their first visit to Eastern Europe since Washington commenced hostilities with Iran in February.
Witkoff and Kushner met with President Putin last Saturday for more than three hours of talks.
The White House said the meeting saw both sides discuss “substantive plans for next steps” towards ending the conflict, which would be announced in the “coming weeks,” while Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described the talks as “highly useful.” The following day, U.S. officials met President Zelensky, who described the discussions as “very substantial” while indicating the war looked likely to continue into the forthcoming winter.
Following the meeting, Witkoff said both Russia and Ukraine needed to make “some compromises and narrow the issues between them” to end the conflict.
Trump Blames Personal Differences
Even with an increase in the frequency of discussions, a permanent deal seems far-fetched given the differences between Moscow and Kyiv.
“The holdup is two people who hate each other,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday.
The Russian and Ukrainian presidents have only ever met face-to-face once in December 2019 – seven months after the latter was elected.
The two met at a conference in Normandy, where they were joined by French President Emmanuel Macron and then-Chancellor Angela Meonly rkel, to discuss an end to fighting in the Donbas.
At the time, it was seen as a major step towards ending the conflict, but it provoked little long-term change.
Territory Remains Key
Although several sticking points remain on both sides, the biggest polarization stems from territory in the Donbas.
Zelensky has drawn a firm red line against conceding territory that hundreds of thousands have lost their lives trying to defend.
Compromises aren’t easy, and Zelenskyy is aware that a return to pre-war borders is unlikely, so the Ukrainian President has largely agreed to pause fighting on the current frontlines.
Putin, on the other hand, is pushing for full control over the Donbas.
This region of Ukraine, made up of Luhansk and Donetsk, was recognized as independent by Moscow just days before its full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
About the Author: Shay Bottomley
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist. He has written for the Western Standard, Business Insider, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo.
