Donald Trump and Putin in Kiev: a plan for next-to-nuclear-cold war in the Middle East, followed by a call for peace
Trump and Putin also discussed the Middle East and agreed the region could serve as a place for potential cooperation to prevent future conflicts. The White House said they discussed “the need to stop proliferation of strategic weapons” and agreed that “Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel.”
He said that Ukraine wouldn’t be able to become a neutral state because it wouldn’t reduce its army size, or recognize occupied territories as part of Russia.
Putin also questioned who would monitor the deal across the front line, as well as what penalties would be for violating its terms. Russian officials have repeatedly rejected the idea of a peacekeeping contingent from NATO-aligned countries.
Andriy Yermak, an aide to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on Monday that Ukraine wants peace more than anyone. “But we cannot accept peace at any price,” he said. We will not make compromises that are not in the best interest of Ukrainian society.
The movement to peace will kick off with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire as well as technical negotiations on the implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea. The White House said that negotiations would start in the Middle East.
On Sunday, ahead of the call, Trump told reporters that negotiations have progressed so far that he and Putin would be discussing “dividing up certain assets,” including land and power plants.
“We all know that the Russians focus on a few areas,” she said. There is a nuclear reactor that provides electricity to the country of Ukraine. That’s got to be dealt with. There’s access to ports. There is an agreement in the Black Sea. There’s just so many elements.”
There were signals of detente elsewhere. The installation in front of the American embassy in Moscow was taken down after the call.