Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin. Photo: russian media.
During a meeting of the Russian Security Council, Vladimir Putin officially congratulated Donald Trump on taking office as President of the United States of America. In his address, the dictator said that Moscow was ready to engage in dialogue with the new US administration, in particular regarding the war that Russia has unleashed against Ukraine. This was reported by the Time Ukraine Israel portal, citing Israel’s Channel 9.
Continuation of Kremlin manipulations
Putin noted that Russia “is always ready to cooperate with any US administration” and stressed the desire to build relations on an “equal footing”. At the same time, he used the occasion to justify the Kremlin’s actions, accusing the West of escalating the situation.
Regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war, Putin voiced the usual theses about the need to “eliminate the root causes of the crisis”, thus trying to once again shift the responsibility for the war onto Ukraine and its international partners.
“The goal of the settlement is a long-term peace, not a temporary truce,” Putin said, reiterating that Russia’s actions in Ukraine are allegedly aimed at “protecting Russian interests”.
What does Trump promise?
On the eve of his inauguration, Donald Trump said that his administration would seek to end the war in Ukraine. According to the US media, Trump intends to have a phone conversation with Putin in the first days of his presidency, which is already causing concern among many experts.
American journalists point out that Trump’s approach will be fundamentally different from the policy of his predecessor, Joe Biden, who consistently supported Ukraine. Trump is known to believe that a direct dialogue with Putin could be the key to resolving the conflict, although such expectations seem naïve given the Kremlin’s ongoing aggression.
Risks for Ukraine
Despite the rhetoric of “peace” and “cooperation”, it is clear that the Kremlin is seeking to use any changes in US policy to strengthen its position. Putin’s statements about allegedly “protecting the peoples of the region” contradict reality: Ukrainian cities are under constant shelling, civilians are suffering from war crimes, and the economic and humanitarian situation in the occupied territories is catastrophic.
Ukraine needs to remain vigilant and intensify its diplomatic efforts to ensure that any new dialogue between the US and Russia does not lead to compromises that threaten its territorial integrity. Only the strong support of the international community can guarantee a just peace and bring the aggressor to justice.
