“In an interview with UNIAN, the chairman of the Board of Applied Political Studies “Penta” in an interview with UNIAN told how viable the idea of meeting Trump, Putin and Zelensky, and can be the first step to peace.”, – WRITE: www.unian.ua
You can view the interview video at the link.
PpThe visit of US President Donald Trump Special Representative Steve Vitcoff to Moscow, and talking about a likely meeting of the Russian dictator with the US President, as well as a tripartite meeting with the participation of the President of Ukraine, began. How real is it? Is it another attempt to tighten negotiations from Russia?
The irony is that the idea of such a meeting at the highest level actually belongs to Zelensky (he has promoted it at least from February 2025). And there is really a risk of tightening. It can be part of Putin’s tactics: we meet, we start negotiations, we do not agree … This option, unfortunately, is possible.
At the same time, Trump, when he agrees to such a meeting, clearly makes it clear that he really wants to negotiate, wants to have a specific result. He is not pleasant with Putin.
But another risk to us – and, I think, is the biggest challenge – that Putin can try to persuade Trump to go to peace on Russian conditions.
It is about territorial concessions from Ukraine?
In Lighting. This is no longer an ultimatum that has been in the Russians until recently, but a softened option. For example, it may be that the Ukrainians agree to the recognition of the Crimea, or let them change the constitution … It may not be at once, but the possibility of such concessions may be a condition for ceasefire. And here is the question: will Trump agree.
For us, the risk is that Trump, without resorting to detail, without realizing that it can cause the rejection of the Ukrainian side (not about Zelensky, but about Ukrainian society), it can agree. And so Putin can provoke a change in Trump’s attitude to Ukraine.
In the sense that Ukraine does not agree to “peaceful” conditions?
Yes. It is a treacherous maneuver for changing the situation to put us. The effort to convince Trump that the problem is not in Putin, not that he does not want to stop the war, but that Ukraine does not want it.
Europeans can and should persuade Trump / photo ua.depositphotos.comWe can assume that Trump does not really understand such nuances. But these nuances are well understood by Europeans. Now the situation seems that Russia is trying to detach Europe from the negotiating track of the US-EU-Ukraine. After all, when it comes to negotiations at the highest level, European leaders fall out of this “formula”. Will Europeans persuade Trump that the recognition of Crimea will mean legitimizing Russian aggression? And what does Russia give “Green Light” to the same way?
Of course, Europeans can and should persuade Trump. The topic of who from Europe should participate in negotiations and influence the negotiation process has not disappeared, it has existed since February this year. Americans (and it is very good) in one way or another coordinate their negotiation with the Russian Federation with us, but also with European leaders.
In the end, now, after Vitcoff spoke with Putin in Moscow, Trump perceived it, though restrained, but mostly positively, and called Zelensky. And before that he talked to Zelensky and a group of European leaders …
Therefore, although Europeans will not be at the leadership level (which is still unknown or will happen), they are already in contact with the Americans. And Ukraine needs to coordinate our negotiation with Europeans so that it is common and strengthen our voice.
Let us remind you that in March we managed to form an almost the same position with the United States – a complete ceasefire for 30 days with prolongation. So now, if we manage to form a common negotiation position, it will be a certain guarantee. After all, the risks that Putin will start inventing and substituting us is. Therefore, we need to insure.
It seems to me that Russia will delay the “preparation for negotiations” with the US and Ukraine before Putin’s position with the leader of China. Their meeting should take place in early September. Do you share this opinion?
I fully support such a position that in the interests of Russia now – do not rush. And this, by the way, is a traditional story from Putin to have time to change the situation. For comparison, when in May, European leaders, together with Zelensky, made Putin understand that he either agrees to the ceasefire or there would be new sanctions, he reformatted the situation and had a counter-initiative. Like, ready for negotiations, let’s appoint them in Istanbul …
Unfortunately, Trump agreed to it, and then the issue of sanctions against Russia was postponed indefinitely. Negotiations began, but there is no result. Now – a similar situation. Putin can repeat this “trick”: to offer negotiations at the highest level. But their goal is to delay the time to convince Trump that we need to negotiate on Russian conditions.
As for China, both China and Americans do not want a new trade war. And they understand that China can affect Russia and persuade the Russians to end the war. At the same time, Putin can try to agree with Xi Jinping that we need to oppose Trump. All this makes the situation even more conflicting. Therefore, I think, in the near future, there will be an acute tactical struggle around when the meeting may occur at the highest level (this is the number one topic), where this meeting can take place, and the third is the agenda.
According to Fesenko, formally Putin may face some legal problems / screenshotAnd what can be this agenda?
Probably, Americans will insist (like us) that the result of such a possible meeting is the ceasefire, at least phased, starting from the air. And then – the beginning of the negotiations on the complete ceasefire. And the Russians, on the contrary, will put forward their conditions, they say, let the Ukrainians first agree to some of them, then they will agree to the ceasefire.
In the end, we need to understand that the meeting may not happen.
Can one of the factors that the highest level may not happen is that Putin is recognized as an international criminal?
In fact, no matter how we want to be clearly recognized that Putin is a criminal and cannot deal with him, Americans have a slightly different approach (and attitude towards decisions of the International Criminal Court). In fact, there is a warrant against Putin and other Russian officials, where there are accusations of specific war crimes. The legal language is a suspicion, but not yet a sentence. This is not a problem for Americans.
At the same time, Putin is a nuisance for Putin, because formally it may face some legal problems. And Putin actually responds to this: it avoids risks, visits even in friendly countries … And here we can talk about the potential place of negotiations …
But how ethical is it – to shake your hand with an actual military offender?
Unfortunately, the Americans and Putin’s contacts are not affected by Putin. The moral aspect is weight in Europe, and the proof of this is the beginning of the creation of a special rebun. There are negotiations here, and claims to Putin, as a military criminal, remain. Also, this “justice line” remains open to us, so we must periodically resemble it.