Trump demands peace guarantee before Putin meeting – what now for Ukraine?

Trump demands peace guarantee before Putin meeting – what now for Ukraine?

US President Donald Trump has expressed his desire not to meet Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin until an agreement in the Ukraine war has been secured. Trump said he needed to know a deal could be reached before spending time meeting with the Russian president. A previously proposed meeting was postponed indefinitely while the US government imposed new sanctions on Russia. These measures were based on Putin's unwillingness to end the war of aggression against Ukraine, as oe24.at reports.

Trump was disappointed with the way the conflict was going and had believed in an earlier peace in the region. Therefore, despite US sanctions and the cancellation of a meeting between Trump and Putin, dialogue is more important than ever. Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev recently said that Russia, the US and Ukraine are close to a diplomatic solution. His visit to the USA, which had been planned for some time, is based on the premise that talks must continue, even if sanctions and political tensions remain, as sueddeutsche.de adds.

Diplomatic efforts and conditions

Dmitriev praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his willingness to accept the current front line as a basis for peace talks. Trump has suggested freezing the current front line, which Zelenskyj has already supported in a corresponding statement. However, Dmitriev emphasizes that Trump should not pressure Russia to achieve negotiation results. In order to reach a final solution, the Russian special envoy has stated that Russia is not only interested in a temporary ceasefire, but in a permanent peace solution.

The US and Europe support Ukraine's position, which seeks to regain territories occupied by Russia and long-term NATO membership. At the same time, Russia is demanding recognition of the annexed territories and Ukraine's refusal to join NATO. These different demands make the negotiations complex, as tagesschau.de also notes. Russia remains adamant and rejects territorial concessions, posing a serious challenge to peace talks.

The role of the international community

Ukraine wants to be directly involved in peace talks and insists that its state sovereignty must be secured. The negotiations show disagreement within the EU over military support for Ukraine, which is underlined by the desire to have a say in the negotiations. A special EU summit is already scheduled for March 6th to clarify outstanding questions about support for Ukraine and European security.

Overall, the situation in the Ukraine war remains tense, and upcoming political developments and diplomatic efforts will be crucial in determining whether a lasting peace is achievable.