Moscow (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Europe’s participation in Ukraine peace discussions would be needed eventually, but the Kremlin first wants to build trust with the US while suggesting that an agreement to conclude the conflict may still be far off.
Vladimir Putin, in an interview with Russian state television, said that Trump was handling the Russia-Ukraine conflict rationally and not emotionally, but gave the feeling that it might not finish as soon as Trump would like. Both his telephone talks with Trump and recent discussions between the United States and Russia in Riyadh centered on the issue of resolution of the conflict in Ukraine, Putin also said.
“But it was not discussed in detail,”
He stated.
“We only agreed that we would move toward this. And in this case, of course, we are not refusing the participation of European countries.”
Will Europe join future Ukraine peace talks?
He said Europe had “nothing with” the discussions in Riyadh, as they were concentrated on demonstrating trust between Moscow and Washington, which he stated was essential.
“In order to resolve complex and rather acute issues, such as related to Ukraine, both Russia and the United States must take the first step,”
Putin added.
“What does it consist of? This first step should be devoted to increasing the level of trust between the two states,”
He explained.
“But what do the Europeans have to do with it?”
In the next few rounds of talks and high-level contacts, the focus will be on building trust, he said.
“Their participation in the negotiating process is needed. We never rejected that, we held constant discussions with them.”
Can the US and Russia agree on defence budget cuts?
Moreover, the Russian President also said he supported a suggestion that Russia and the United States could examine deep cuts, of as much as half, in military budgets.
“We could come to an agreement with the United States. We’re not against that,”
Putin stated.
“The idea seems like a good one to me. The United States reduces theirs by 50% and we reduce ours by 50%. And China could join us later if it wishes.”
How does Putin describe Trump’s Ukraine policy shift?
He dismissed any idea that Trump’s sharp alteration of the US’s policy on Ukraine, including objection of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and suggestions that Ukraine might not recover all lost region, was based on emotion. Trump, he stated, was acting logically and free of the limitations of promises to Ukraine made by European heads.
“Unlike them, the new president of the United States has his hands free from shackles that don’t allow you to move forward,”
He stated.
“He is moving in a straightforward manner and without particular constraints. He is in a unique position: he doesn’t just say what he thinks, he says what he wants. This is the privilege of the leader of one of the major powers.”
