Kremlin on Ukraine War: “Russia has no illusions about Trump”. Putin’s Spokesman Reactions to Pompeo’s WSJ Article
In the cover image former American president Donald Trump and Russia president Vladimir Putin during the 2018 Helsink summit between the two nuclear nations
Donald Trump may be clear-minded when it comes to Russian history, but he started the “sanctions race” with Moscow, President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov has said.
In a Fox News interview earlier this week, Trump pointed out that the Russian “war machine” defeated both Napoleon and Hitler, so stopping the Ukraine conflict had to be a priority for him if re-elected. Meanwhile, his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo outlinedv“a Trump peace plan” in the Wall Street Journal that seemed at odds with the Republican candidate’s actual position.
Commenting on both matters, Peskov complimented Trump for “knowing history in such depth” as few other Americans seemed to, but maintained that he was still “a representative of the US political elite that is now definitely suffering from total Russophobia.”
“Of course, we saw this article and various other statements. We have never worn rose-colored glasses,” Peskov told reporters.
The Kremlin press secretary reminded reporters that the US introduced “a huge number of sanctions” against Russia during Trump’s presidency, so “there isn’t much of a difference” between him and other American politicians, from Moscow’s standpoint.
“He shows a little more wisdom in terms of maintaining channels of dialogue, but this does not have much of an influence on anything,” Peskov concluded.
Pompeo’s op-ed blamed the Ukraine conflict on the “weakness” of current US president, Joe Biden, and accused him for leaving Ukraine “without the means to win” and having “no strategy for victory.”
According to the former State Department head, a plan for peace through strength would involve revitalizing the US economy; imposing “real sanctions” on Russia; creating an anti-Iranian bloc in the Middle East; “revitalizing” NATO; and giving Ukraine $500 billion worth of “lend-lease” military equipment, while lifting all restrictions on its use.
The terms he proposed for ending the Ukraine conflict involve freezing the current frontline while not recognizing any of Russia’s “occupation and claimed annexation,” handing Ukraine Russia’s frozen central bank reserves as reparations, “demilitarizing” Crimea and admitting Kiev to NATO and the EU, whereupon the sanctions on Russia might be gradually lifted.
During the first Trump administration, Pompeo headed the CIA and later the State Department. He has not been involved in Trump’s 2024 campaign and there is no indication his proposal reflects the Republican candidate’s thinking on ending the conflict.
Kiev ready for peace talks with Russia on ‘fair’ terms – Zelensky’s top aide
Kiev is ready for peace negotiations with Moscow on “fair” terms, Vladimir Zelensky’s top aide, Mikhail Podoliak, said on Friday in an interview with a Ukrainian TV channel. He claimed, however, that the Russia is not ready for a deal.
The top official stressed that Ukraine is seeking what it sees as effective negotiations that would lead not to a freezing of the hostilities but an end to the conflict entirely. He called for increasing international pressure on Russia and boosting Ukraine’s military capabilities to achieve the goal.
Earlier this week, Podoliak told the Associated Press that he sees a peace agreement with Russia as a “deal with the devil,” adding that freezing the conflict would allow Moscow to make the necessary corrections and modernize its forces.
Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that peace talks are currently impossible due to a range of issues that must first be resolved, including Zelensky’s status and Ukrainian legislation, signed by Zelensky in 2022, banning negotiations between Kiev and the current leadership in Moscow.
Peskov reiterated that the Kremlin considers Zelensky’s legitimacy as head of state to be void, as his term ended in May and elections were not held due to martial law. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously said that Zelensky’s status matters with regard to a potential peace treaty, since any binding documents would have to be signed by legitimate authorities.
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The spokesman also highlighted that despite the recent statements, the Ukrainian side, as well as its Western backers, remains reluctant to engage in talks with Russia.
Zelensky recently claimed that Kiev wants to end the conflict “as soon as possible,” preferably “by the end of this year.” He has raised the possibility of holding a second summit as a way to achieve this aim.
Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that signals sent by Zelensky about Ukraine’s willingness to resume peace talks with Moscow are not credible.
The first summit, which was hosted by Switzerland, focused on elements of Kiev’s ‘peace formula’, which demands that Moscow withdraw its troops from all territory claimed by Ukraine. Moscow has dismissed the plan as detached from reality.
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