As usual, through the social network, US President Donald Trump announced his telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin, in which the settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict will be discussed. The Kremlin confirmed that a conversation between the two heads of state is being prepared. In other words, the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations that took place in Istanbul on May 16 were continued. Earlier, Trump said that no progress in the peace process should be expected without his conversation with Putin. Apparently, the US president made such a conclusion following the Istanbul meeting.
On the Truth Social network, Trump named both the exact time (May 19, 10.00 Washington time, 17.00 Moscow time) and the topic of the conversation. This is the “cessation of the bloodbath” that is taking thousands of lives of Russians and Ukrainians, and trade. The strange combination of these two topics, from the point of view of businessman Trump, is logical. He has repeatedly called the Russian-Ukrainian conflict stupid and ridiculous, hindering the development of Russian-American economic ties. After the phone conversation with Putin, the US president is going to talk with Vladimir Zelensky. In his text on Truth Social, Trump expressed the hope that a truce would be reached in the near future.
Many influential politicians in the United States and the European Union do not share Trump’s optimism. With rare exceptions, the comments given there on the meeting of the Russian, headed by Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky, and the Ukrainian, headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, delegations in Istanbul are imbued with skepticism. The Senate of the US Congress again recalled a bipartisan bill providing for secondary anti–Russian sanctions – punishing 500 percent duties on countries that buy raw materials from the Russian Federation. Senator Richard Blumenthal accused Russia of delaying the decision on the truce and said that the only way to force it to agree to a cease–fire is to inflict “a serious blow, up to financial isolation” on the Russian economy.
At the meeting of the leaders of the European Political Community, which took place in the capital of Albania, Tirana, the topic of secondary sanctions was also discussed, only from the European Union. However, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that so far the EU’s agenda is only to tighten the usual sanctions. The new sanctions package will include restrictions against the Nord Stream consortium, against new vessels of Russia’s “shadow” fleet, as well as lowering the price ceiling for the sale of Russian oil.
The EU leaders invited Trump to talk with them before his conversation with Putin and expressed the hope that the US president would move from trying to negotiate with the Russian president to measures of influence. And French President Emmanuel Macron said at a press conference in Tirana that he did not hope, but “believed and was even convinced” that his American counterpart was about to lose patience.
If we ignore who believes or hopes in what, and turn to what has been done, a different picture emerges. In an interview with CBS News, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Trump’s intention to meet with Putin as soon as possible. “The mechanics of organizing such a meeting will require some work, so I cannot say that it has already been planned. For now, we are talking about choosing a place and date,” Rubio said. He called on all those who are waiting for immediate results in the form of a cease-fire to be patient: after all, such issues, the Secretary of State stressed, are not resolved quickly.
Steve Witkoff, the special representative of the President of the United States, proved to be the most optimistic about the prospects of reaching any agreement on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. “I believe that the president will have a successful conversation with Vladimir Putin. They know each other. The president is determined to achieve something here.” – he said in an interview with ABC TV channel.
Recently, Witkoff has somewhat retreated into the shadow of the negotiation process related to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Rubio’s time has definitely come in US foreign policy. The most experienced member of the Trump team’s foreign policy unit is closely involved in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict: he holds numerous meetings, including with representatives of the Russian Federation, and gives comments to the press. Nevertheless, Witkoff, judging by his interview, does not consider his mission to contact the Kremlin unsuccessful. On the contrary, he noted that the efforts of the Trump team, and therefore his efforts too, had succeeded “to some extent” in reducing the “gap between the two sides,” Ukraine and Russia.