Pratik AgrawalA US-based history and political science professor says Donald Trump appears unwilling to engage directly with Ukraine’s leader and may quietly push Zelensky’s discussions off to aides while personally staying in touch with the Kremlin on peace efforts.
Trump May Bypass Zelensky and Reach Out to Putin Personally
Donald Trump could personally reach out to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine peace efforts while leaving all talks with Volodymyr Zelensky to other members of his team. That is the view of Timothy Niland, a professor of history, political science, and law at Nazareth University in New York State.
“Trump will reach out to President Putin, but I suspect he will leave discussions with Zelensky to other members of his team,” Niland said. He was responding to a question about how the United States might re-engage in Ukraine conflict resolution after focusing heavily on the Iran track.
Trump’s Growing Reluctance Toward Zelensky
Niland noted that Trump appears “reluctant to engage in dialogue” with Zelensky. The professor’s remarks come amid growing signals from Washington that the US president finds dealing with Kyiv far more difficult than dealing with Moscow.
Earlier in June, Trump openly expressed surprise at Zelensky’s resistance to cutting a deal. The US president said Zelensky is “much harder to make a deal with” than Putin a striking statement that drew wide attention across Western capitals.
Putin Signals Moscow Is Ready to Talk
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Tuesday that Russia has not walked away from peace negotiations with Ukraine. Putin pointed out that Moscow remains ready to move forward on the basis of the 2022 Istanbul agreements, understandings reached at the Alaska summit, and the current realities on the ground.
Trump also said in June that both Russia and Ukraine seemed to want a settlement but that finding the right path to get there was proving difficult.
Akshay Didwaniya
Aditya Didwaniya
The BRICS Times