While U.S. president Donald Trump is pressing for the swift conclusion of the three-year war launched by Russia in Ukraine, Moscow and Washington began parallel talks to scope an agreement on approximation.
Russian officials maneuver to include a wide scope of demands in the agreement — not only to safeguard Russia's dominance of Ukraine, but besides to address key bilateral issues specified as the restoration of diplomatic relations, the abolition of sanctions and the launch of joint resource improvement projects in the Arctic and Russia. specified an agreement could supply the Kremlin with the much needed long-term investment and access to technologies that it presently lacks.
Tensions between Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenski, who insists that Kiev needs circumstantial safety guarantees before entering the room, reached a boiling point on Friday in a hot clash at the Oval Office.
"The full plan is questionable"
Two Russian government officials, 2 diplomats and a origin close to Kremlin told The Moscow Times that after this shocking incident, for which Zelenski apologized on TuesdayThe Kremlin fears that his chances of obtaining a mutually beneficial consequence in agreement with Washington may be compromised.
— We are valuable to Trump primarily in the context of solving the problem: wars in Ukraine. If this issue falls out of the program, the full plan becomes questionable — what else can you talk about?” said the Russian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the case.
— The main attraction for Trump is the chance to introduce himself as a man who can solve a very hard problem. If Ukraine does not agree to its terms, the full expression will lose its meaning," another Russian diplomat added.
JIM LO SCALZO / Pool / PAPUkrainian president Volodymyr Zelenski during a gathering with US president Donald Trump in the White House, Washington, USA, 28 February 2025.
Key origin in Ukraine
According to 1 Russian government official, Moscow's portfolio of interests as part of an intensive consultation with Washington, which began in February, goes far beyond what would usually be considered US priorities.
— Given Trump's mood, he's not peculiarly curious in arms control. Regional problems? quite a few them can do without us. Therefore, although any of our people are celebrating now, it may be premature,” said an authoritative at The Moscow Times.
While U.S.-Russia relations do not depend solely on Ukraine, they have any strategical importance for Washington, noted another Russian diplomat. The Kremlin sees a possible chance for itself in areas specified as the Arctic and Moscow's ability to facilitate U.S. talks with Iran. However, no of these issues are as attractive to Trump without the Ukrainian factor, awarded the diplomat.
Suspension of aid to Ukraine
Monday Trump's decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine sparked the surprise but enthusiastic reaction of the Kremlin. Russian officials welcomed this move, seen as giving Moscow a crucial advantage both in military and moral terms.
“If the United States stops, it will most likely be the best step towards peace,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Pieskov on Tuesday, calling it “a solution that can truly push the government in Kiev towards a peace process.”
Nevertheless, Pieskov said that Russia would proceed to monitor developments in the field, noting that the United States remained Kiev's main military supplier since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Hope of the Kremlin
The completion of Western military aid to Ukraine has been 1 of the key demands of the Kremlin since the invasion, along with the ban on Kiev's accession to NATO, the installation of a friendly Russia regime, the change in Ukrainian language policy and a crucial simplification in its army's size.
So far, Washington and another allies of Ukraine have powerfully rejected the cessation of military supplies as absolutely unacceptable. However, after Trump's triumph in the election, the United States changed its position.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Trump's leadership in mediating the end of the war, The Kremlin inactive hopes that a combination of American political force and Russian military force will yet force Kiev to negotiate.
Screw tightening
Moscow, however, assumes that any future agreement will impose even stricter conditions on Ukraine than before the confrontation at the Oval Office, said The Moscow Times origin related to the Kremlin and the Russian diplomat.
said the Russian diplomat.
President Vladimir Putin seemed to express Moscow's concerns about the US-Russia agreement, saying at a gathering of FSB officials on 27 February: “We realize that not all are satisfied with resuming relations between Russia and the US. any Western elites are inactive active in maintaining global instability and these forces will effort to disrupt or compromise the recently resumed dialogue. You and I see it. We must remember this and seize all the opportunities offered by diplomacy and peculiar services to thwart specified attempts."
Two Putin Strategies
Among the ever-changing dynamics, Putin is likely to double his efforts within 2 strategies, said The Moscow Times 1 of the Kremlovian insiders.
As part of the first strategy, Moscow will effort to shift the global blame for extending the war to Zelenski and present itself as a organization seeking peace. Secondly, Moscow will prosecute the top possible advancement on the battlefield before entering into any possible agreement.
“If Ukraine has taken that position, we must do everything to guarantee that Kiev is blamed for prolonging the conflict,” said the origin associated with the Kremlin. “We must actively declare our desire for peace,” added the informant. As long as we have a strategical initiative, stopping would be irrational. We will keep force on the front line, as another origin summed up.
