U.S. Peace Strategy for Ukraine Put to the Test

"WASHINGTON -- President Trump finds himself a "yes" away from brokering a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine. But it is Russian President Vladimir Putin who has to say it, and he is leaning in the other direction.

That has put Trump, the self-professed master dealmaker, in a bind of his own making. After promising Putin wants peace and pressuring Kyiv to back the 30-day fighting pause, Trump will face a decision on imposing new sanctions on Moscow, as he has vowed to do if the Kremlin balks at the U.S.-brokered plan.

But punishing Moscow could add another roadblock on the already arduous path to a deal, one that would put at risk his larger goal of improving relations with Russia.

Asked Thursday about leverage he might have over Putin, Trump insisted at the White House, "I don't want to talk about that." But he said of the three-year-old conflict: "We have to get it over with fast."

Whether Trump achieves the goal depends on how he and his advisers navigate talks with Moscow in the coming days. Instead of rejecting the cease-fire outright, Russian officials are signaling they may demand concessions before talks on ending the conflict ever begin, putting even more pressure on Trump.

The larger question is whether Putin is as committed to peace as Trump has insisted he is -- or whether the concessions required to get him on board will cost Trump the support of Ukraine and European governments fearful that Russia will resume fighting without a strong deal.

Trump said Thursday that negotiators have already been discussing the outlines of an agreement, including territorial concessions that will be required and narrower issues, such as control of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant now in Russian hands.

National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes insists Trump "is focused on one objective: bringing this conflict to a peaceful resolution" by first getting Russia to agree to the 30-day cease-fire.

But many analysts remain skeptical that Putin will ultimately sign off on this or any other proposal. "There is no deal to be had with the Russians and they would reject any deal that the U.S. negotiates with Ukraine," said Alina Polyakova, president and CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington.

Trump said ending the conflict would be easy, claiming on the campaign trail it would take him only 24 hours. After failing to meet that deadline once back in office, Trump has turned to wooing Russia and pressuring Ukraine to catalyze a deal.

The president has said Kyiv wouldn't be offered NATO membership and has yet to endorse a European plan that calls for sending British and French troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers. Moscow opposes both ideas.

After a disastrous White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump paused military and intelligence support to his forces until Kyiv backed the U.S. cease-fire plan this week.

That has left the conflict's immediate future in Putin's hands.

"Who will give orders to stop fighting? What is the value of those orders? Who will determine where and by whom they were violated?" the Russian president said Thursday, enumerating issues that he says need clarification before a cease-fire.

Senate Republicans, including some of Trump's staunchest allies, are calling on him to retaliate against Russia if Moscow walks away from the negotiations. "Putin deserves a lot more pressure than Ukraine does," said Sen. Mike Rounds (R., S.D.).” [1]

This is wrong. Trump was right to offer Russia a lot before the talks since now we see that Russia has good cards here. To let British and French “peace-keeping” foxes into the chicken coop of Ukraine would be a mistake, leading to increased risk of a nuclear war. The fighting keeps these foxes away. The Americans and the Russians should take time to sort out their differences before the fighting stops.

Trump already knows how to get all the support he needs from Ukraine by stopping supporting the Ukrainian military. Trump has practically no need for support from Western European governments, because these governments do not want peace and are trying to sink the United States.

1.  World News: U.S. Peace Strategy for Ukraine Put to the Test. Ward, Alexander; Wise, Lindsay.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 15 Mar 2025: A9.

Prezidentas Trumpas neina į, britų paspęstus, skubių paliaubų spąstus: Trumpas Rusijos derybas vadina „produktyviomis“ --- JAV prezidentas, Putinas piešia rožinį vaizdą apie diskusijas, kuriomis siekiama užbaigti konfliktą Ukrainoje

 “Prezidentas Trumpas ir Rusijos prezidentas Vladimiras Putinas nupiešė rožinį diskusijų, skirtų užbaigti konfliktą Ukrainoje, paveikslą, o Kijevas paragino JAV daryti spaudimą Rusijai, Kremliui atmetus neatidėliotinas paliaubas.

 

 Trumpas apibūdino derybas, kaip produktyvias, o Kremlius sakė, kad yra priežasčių būti atsargiems optimistams po Putino ir JAV specialiojo pasiuntinio Steve'o Witkoffo susitikimo Maskvoje.

 

 Ketvirtadienį V. Putinas pareiškė nepritariantis skubiai sustabdyti kovų, nes tai suteiktų Ukrainos pajėgoms mūšio lauke atokvėpį, be to, reikia išspręsti daugybę klausimų.

 

 „Vakar turėjome labai geras ir produktyvias diskusijas su Rusijos prezidentu Vladimiru Putinu, ir yra labai didelė tikimybė, kad šis siaubingas kruvinas konfliktas pagaliau gali baigtis“, – penktadienį socialinėje žiniasklaidoje rašė D. Trumpas.

 

 Ukrainos prezidentas Volodymyras Zelenskis paragino JAV spausti Rusiją, kad ši padarytų daugiau, kad būtų nutrauktos, trejus metus trukusios, alinančios kovos, nes, regis, pripažino, kad Ukrainos įsiveržimas į Rusijos Kursko sritį artėja prie pabaigos.

 

 "Padėtis dabar labai sunki. Galiu tik padėkoti mūsų kariams už šią operaciją. Ji įvykdė savo užduotį", – penktadienį Kijeve žurnalistams sakė Zelenskis.

 

 Trumpas savo poste taip pat sakė kreipęsis į Putiną, prašydamas išgelbėti gyvybes tūkstančiams Ukrainos kareivių, kurie, jo teigimu, buvo apsupti Rusijos kariuomenės, nors nepateikė išsamesnės informacijos.

 

 Rusijos pajėgos pastarosiomis dienomis sparčiai žengė į priekį Kursko srityje, apšaudydami Ukrainos pajėgų tiekimo linijas ir priversdamos karius pasitraukti iš kelių kaimų ir Sudžos miesto.

 

 Ukrainos karinė vadovybė pareiškė, kad bet kokie pranešimai apie Kursko apsupimą „yra melagingi ir rusų išgalvoti dėl politinės manipuliacijos ir spaudimo Ukrainai bei jos partneriams“.

 

 „Mūsų dalinių apsupimo grėsmės nėra“, – sakė Ukrainos ginkluotųjų pajėgų generalinis štabas ir pridūrė, kad kovinės operacijos ten vyksta.

 

 Vėliau penktadienį V. Putinas pareiškė, kad jam pritaria D. Trumpo raginimui ir, jeigu ukrainiečiai padės ginklus ir pasiduos, jiems bus „garantuota gyvybė ir orus elgesys su jais“. Jis paragino Ukrainą duoti įsakymą savo daliniams pasiduoti, kaip karo belaisviams.

 

 Anksčiau Kremlius sakė, kad V. Putinas ketvirtadienį vėlų vakarą susitiko su specialiuoju D. Trumpo pasiuntiniu Witkoffu.

 

 „Per Witkoffą Putinas perdavė informaciją ir papildomus signalus prezidentui Trumpui“, – penktadienį žurnalistams sakė Kremliaus atstovas Dmitrijus Peskovas. „Vis dėlto, prezidentas išreiškė solidarumą su D. Trumpo pozicija“.

 

 Kremliaus atsakas į paliaubų pasiūlymą iki šiol atspindi Putinui iškilusią dilemą: ar priimti paliaubas, kai Rusijos pajėgos nugali, ar jas atmesti ir rizikuoti pakenkti subtiliam santykių su Vašingtonu atšilimui.

 

 Zelenskis savo ruožtu perspėjo, kad Rusijai turi būti taikomas didesnis spaudimas, jei Maskva nori užbaigti konfliktą. "Putinas vienas pats konflikto neužbaigs. Tačiau Amerikos stiprybės pakanka, kad tai įvyktų", – sakoma Zelenskio žinutėje socialiniuose tinkluose.

 

 Peskovas penktadienį pareiškė, kad tikslus Putino ir D. Trumpo pokalbio laikas nebuvo nustatytas ir jis bus nustatytas po to, kai Witkoffas perduos Trumpui informaciją, kurią gavo Maskvoje. „Abejų pusių supratimas, kad toks pokalbis yra būtinas“, – sakė P. Peskovas.

 

 Paliaubų pasiūlymas, dėl kurio praėjusią savaitę Saudo Arabijoje derėjosi JAV ir Ukraina, padarė spaudimą Rusijos lyderiui, kad jis parodytų pasirengimą siekti taikos.

 

 Rusija pastaruoju metu sparčiai išvijo Kijevo pajėgas iš savo Kursko srities, kur Ukrainos armija nuo praėjusių metų kontroliavo Rusijos teritoriją.

 

 Savo kariuomenei veržiantis į mūšio lauką ir atkovojant teritoriją, kurią Ukraina tikėjosi panaudoti, kaip derybų kortą, Rusija turi mažai paskatų sustabdyti kovas.

 

 Tuo tarpu Septynių pramoninių valstybių grupė penktadienį paragino Rusiją sutikti su paliaubomis.

 

 „G-7 narės sveikino Ukrainos įsipareigojimą nedelsiant nutraukti ugnį“, – sakė šalių užsienio reikalų ministrai. „G-7 narės paragino Rusiją atsiliepti, sutinkant su paliaubomis vienodomis sąlygomis ir visiškai jas įgyvendinant“.” [1]

 

1.   World News: Trump Calls Russia Talks 'Productive' --- U.S. president, Putin paint rosy picture of discussions to end the conflict in Ukraine. Kantchev, Georgi; Coles, Isabel; Gordon, Michael R.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 15 Mar 2025: A9. 

President Trump Is Not Going Into the Immediate Cease-Fire Trap of the British: Trump Calls Russia Talks 'Productive' --- U.S. president, Putin paint rosy picture of discussions to end the conflict in Ukraine

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"President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin painted a rosy picture of discussions to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine, while Kyiv urged the U.S. to exert pressure on Russia after the Kremlin rejected an immediate cease-fire.

Trump described the talks as productive, while the Kremlin said there were reasons to be cautiously optimistic following a meeting in Moscow between Putin and the U.S.'s special envoy Steve Witkoff.

On Thursday, Putin said he didn't support an immediate pause in fighting because it would give Ukraine's forces a battlefield reprieve, and a host of issues needed to be worked out.

"We had very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody conflict can finally come to an end," Trump wrote in a social-media post on Friday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the U.S. to press Russia to do more to end three years of grueling fighting, as he appeared to acknowledge that Ukraine's incursion in Russia's Kursk region was coming to an end.

"The situation is very difficult now. I can only thank our soldiers for this operation. It accomplished its task," Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv on Friday.

Trump, in his post, also said he appealed to Putin to spare the lives of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers who he said were surrounded by Russian troops, without elaborating.

Russian forces have advanced rapidly in the Kursk region in recent days, placing supply lines to Ukrainian forces there under fire and leading troops to withdraw from several villages and the town of Sudzha.

Ukraine's military leadership said any reports of encirclement in Kursk "are false and fabricated by the Russians for political manipulation and to exert pressure on Ukraine and its partners."

"There is no threat of encirclement of our units," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said, adding that combat operations there were ongoing.

Later Friday, Putin said that he was sympathetic to Trump's call and if the Ukrainians lay down their arms and surrender, they would be "guaranteed life and dignified treatment." He called on Ukraine to issue an order to its units to surrender as prisoners of war.

Earlier, the Kremlin said Putin received Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, in a late-night meeting on Thursday.

"Through Witkoff, Putin transmitted information and additional signals to President Trump," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday. "Nevertheless, the president expressed solidarity with Trump's position."

The Kremlin's response to the cease-fire proposal so far reflects a dilemma facing Putin: whether to accept a truce when Russian forces are gaining ground or to reject it and risk undermining a delicate thaw in relations with Washington.

Zelensky, for his part, warned that more pressure had to be applied on Russia if Moscow was to end the conflict. "Putin will not end the conflict on his own. But the strength of America is enough to make it happen," Zelensky said in a message on social media.

Peskov said Friday that an exact time for a conversation between Putin and Trump hadn't been set, and that it would be determined after Witkoff relays the information he received in Moscow to Trump. "There is an understanding on both sides that such a conversation is necessary," Peskov said.

The cease-fire offer, negotiated by the U.S. and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia this past week, put pressure on the Russian leader to signal a willingness to work toward peace.

Russia has recently made rapid gains toward expelling Kyiv's forces from its Kursk region, where the Ukrainian army had been controlling Russian territory since last year.

With its army advancing on the battlefield and retaking territory Ukraine had hoped to use as a bargaining chip, Russia has little incentive to stop the fighting.

The Group of Seven industrialized nations, meanwhile, on Friday urged Russia to accept a cease-fire.

"G-7 members applauded Ukraine's commitment to an immediate cease-fire," foreign ministers from the countries said. "G-7 members called for Russia to reciprocate by agreeing to a cease-fire on equal terms and implementing it fully."” [1]

1.   World News: Trump Calls Russia Talks 'Productive' --- U.S. president, Putin paint rosy picture of discussions to end the conflict in Ukraine. Kantchev, Georgi; Coles, Isabel; Gordon, Michael R.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 15 Mar 2025: A9.