Russian President Vladimir Putin will insist in possible negotiations with future US President Donald Trump that Ukraine never joins NATO and becomes a neutral state with a limited military. This is claimed by unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg, reports TASR.
After his election, Trump indicated that he would like to meet with Putin as soon as possible after January 20, when he takes office. He expects that the meeting could take place within the next six months. The Kremlin welcomed Trump’s interest, saying that concrete plans could only be drawn up after his inauguration.
According to one of the cited sources, Moscow is of the opinion that individual NATO member states can continue to provide weapons to Ukraine within the framework of bilateral security agreements, but they should never be used against Russia or to gain occupied territories.
What Kiev to these requirements
According to unnamed officials, Moscow will also insist on maintaining “at least de facto control over almost 20 percent of the territory of Ukraine held by Russia,” including the annexed Crimean peninsula. However, the Kremlin is reportedly “open to the exchange of some territories,” the sources said.
According to Bloomberg, it is unlikely that the Ukrainian leadership would accept these demands of Russia favorably. According to the agency, contacts between Kyiv and Moscow are now limited only to issues of exchange of captured soldiers and release of deported children.
The head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, said on Tuesday that Russia is open to discussing security guarantees “for the country that is now called Ukraine, or for part of this country”, but first, according to him, it needs to have its own guarantees on the western border.
Trump talked about a quick fix
In the campaign before the presidential elections, Trump declared several times that he would reach an agreement between Russia and Ukraine on the very first day of his inauguration, if not earlier. In late October, he made a subtle shift in rhetoric and began saying he could resolve the war “very quickly.” After his election, he softened it even further, saying he would simply “resolve” the conflict, but did not indicate a specific plan.
Despite his earlier promises to end the war in Ukraine quickly, Trump advisers interviewed by Reuters now admit it will take months, if not longer.
Since the beginning of the invasion by Russian forces in February 2022, the US has provided more than $63.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine. The White House has accelerated the release of military aid in recent weeks, fearing that Trump will halt it once he takes office.
