Foto: BB.LV / Путин и Трамп
The authors believe that a year after the imposition of oil sanctions, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is "closer than ever to his goal – normalizing relations with Washington without any compromises on Ukraine." It is noted that Putin has been pursuing this since Trump returned to the White House. However, all this time, Trump generally continued Biden's policy, refraining from economic deals with Russia until the war was stopped. But the shift in U.S. foreign policy occurred in just a week and a half, when Trump literally supported Putin, eased economic pressure on Russia, and disparaged Ukrainian President Volodyr Zelensky. Putin, on the other hand, "gained confidence in his strength and is now seeking to establish himself as a global power equal to the U.S. and China, promoting the idea of a trilateral summit." "This, albeit small normalization, helped Putin deactivate Trump and the U.S. as potential helpers for Ukraine," the journalists quoted Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies in Berlin. ## ## Economic Interaction Instead of Pressure The diesel deal with Russia, the journalists believe, is driven by political calculations ahead of the elections in the U.S., as Trump attempts to lower fuel prices. There may be other deals ahead. In particular, the publication recalled that the sale of international assets of the Russian energy giant Lukoil to a group of investors that includes the U.S. government is being discussed. American negotiators also proposed to Europe to resume purchasing large volumes of Russian gas transported through Ukrainian pipelines. Putin framed all this as personal services to Trump, although actions such as the sale of diesel fuel benefit Russia primarily. The author of the book "We Will Outlast Them," dedicated to Russia's foreign policy during the war, Hanna Notte, stated that Russia also wants to return to discussions about the Middle East and projects in the Arctic. The larger goal of Russia is to promote "the idea that relations with the U.S. can be separated and that cooperation is possible, even while continuing the war." Therefore, she believes that Trump's "carrot" proposals to Putin aimed at ending the war will fail. And thus, according to Jeremy Shapiro, director of research at the European Council on Foreign Relations, after the elections, Trump may change his position again, which "is understood in the Kremlin," as they consider Trump very inconsistent. ## ## Peace Negotiations - Latest News It is worth noting that according to media reports, Trump is seeking readiness from Ukraine and Russia to conclude a peace agreement. He believes this could happen in December at the G20 summit in Miami. For this, he is ready to exert pressure on Ukraine. Additionally, following two days of negotiations with Trump's envoys, Russia agreed to support a meeting in a trilateral format. It will take place at a technical level, likely in Abu Dhabi, and future peace negotiations will be discussed there. According to Volodymyr Zelensky, the meeting should take place no later than early November.
