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US President Donald Trump’s peace initiative is at risk of failure, as Vladimir Putin shows no willingness to negotiate and continues to insist on a military solution to the conflict. According to the Financial Times, a senior European Union official said that the Kremlin’s strategy remains unchanged – it is focused on further hostilities rather than finding a compromise.
The United States has already made significant concessions before the start of official negotiations. In particular, Washington has withdrawn its support for Ukraine’s accession to NATO and does not insist on the return of all occupied territories to Kyiv. Experts fear that these steps only strengthen Putin’s confidence in his own position. Former Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev said that the Russian leader shows no willingness to compromise.
Kremlin sees concessions as weakness
According to Kozyrev, for Putin, the Cold War has never ended, and his strategy is aimed at destroying NATO, splitting the US and Europe, and conquering Eastern Europe. He stressed that obtaining territorial and strategic concessions before negotiations only encourages the Kremlin to make new demands.
European diplomats emphasise that the main problem is that Putin’s plan is not to negotiate, but to continue the war. The West is also worried that last week Putin told Trump about the need to “resolve the causes of the conflict”, which could mean new demands on security in Eastern Europe and the US role in the region.
Ankara has also expressed concern about a possible change in NATO’s structure, which could negatively affect its interests. In addition, former US officials emphasise that Putin fears Ukraine’s growing defence capabilities, so any weakening of support for Kyiv could push Russia to launch a new offensive.
Trump offers Ukraine a controversial deal
According to The Telegraph, the Trump administration has presented Ukraine with a draft agreement that effectively turns the country into a US economic colony. The document stipulates that Kyiv should transfer control of Ukrainian resources, ports, infrastructure, as well as oil and gas fields to Washington.
Is the peace plan doomed?
If Trump does not change his strategy and increase pressure on the Kremlin, his peace plan risks collapsing even before formal negotiations begin. Russia uses any concessions from the West as an opportunity for new demands and military action. If military support for Ukraine weakens, the Kremlin may go on the offensive and try to seize additional territory.
