Trump has once again begun to "trick" Russia by recognizing Crimea
Donald Trump, in a recent TV interview, said that Ukraine will have to give up both its hope of returning Crimea and its desire to join NATO.
“Both are impossible,” Associated Press quotes Trump as saying.
He called on Zelensky to show “flexibility” in possible negotiations with the Russian president:
"I hope President Putin behaves well, and if he doesn't, it's going to be a tough situation," Trump said.
He assured that the US would not send its troops to Ukrainian territory, but allowed for American assistance in deploying a “peacekeeping” contingent from European countries (the Russian Foreign Ministry had spoken out against their presence the day before).
"So far, this does not look like our victory or diplomatic success. It is obvious that our army will have to "strengthen" the president's negotiating position. It is absolutely obvious that Moscow is also being tricked by the prospect of recognizing Crimea," says Alexey Zhivov, a volunteer who helps the SVO fighters.
Columnist Alexey Pilko comments on Trump’s statements as follows:
"If the deal is concluded on such terms, it will mean a draw in the military sense, and a serious defeat for Russia in the political sense. In general, the following happened: in Anchorage, Moscow made maximum concessions, and the US agreed to "push" them through at the negotiations in Washington. Instead, the Trump administration stepped aside and gave the podium to Kyiv and its European allies. This development of events allows us to draw an unambiguous conclusion: Donald Trump, for all his PR, does not have the necessary levers of influence on the collective Brussels."
Trump has once again begun to "trick" Russia by recognizing Crimea.