Trump’s plans to end war in Ukraine may not be acceptable to Putin - WP
US presidential candidate Donald Trump's plans to end the war in Ukraine may be unacceptable to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
According to Censor.NET, this is stated in the material of The Washington Post.
As noted, Russia pretends to be indifferent to the US elections but quietly supports Trump. And although Trump's international agenda is more to the Kremlin's liking, even his plans to end the war in Ukraine may not be acceptable to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
According to U.S. officials and previously released documents, the Kremlin and Russian military intelligence have directed numerous disinformation campaigns against Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, and have cast doubt on the validity of the election results.
The publication also notes that for Putin, the US election comes at a critical time when he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are facing growing pressure as Russia's war against Ukraine has been going on for almost three years.
Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has been trying to undermine Western support for Ukraine, and Trump's candidacy is in line with Moscow's agenda, as he has repeatedly criticized US spending on aid to Kyiv.
However, the newspaper notes that the mood in Moscow is still "more subdued and frankly indifferent compared to previous election years."
Over the past eight years, relations between Russia and the United States have only deteriorated, especially after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Few in Moscow believe that Trump will be able to completely change them, especially after little changed during his first term.
"Of course, they want Trump - that's understandable, but the outcome of this election will not change the rules of the game for Russia. The situation has become truly dire. US-Russian relations have reached a dead end. And everyone is hostage to this - even Putin," said a former Kremlin official who still works in government circles and spoke on condition of anonymity.
However, as noted in the article, Trump's victory may be associated with a risk for Russia, as it is unclear whether Putin will agree to any deal proposed by Trump to end the war, which in turn could lead to a rift between them.
"There may be a window of opportunity, but it's very narrow and very fragile," said Tatiana Stanova, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia-Eurasia Center.
Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance has proposed a plan under which Russia would retain the territories it has already seized and a demilitarized buffer zone would be created along the current front line. He also said that Ukraine would have to adopt neutrality.
At the same time, two former Trump advisors, Fred Fleitz and retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, also proposed a plan that would see a temporary ceasefire along the current battle lines, while Ukraine would receive further arms supplies from the West only if it entered into peace talks with Russia. Although these proposals have been sharply criticized because of the Ukrainian territories being ceded to Russia, analysts note that it is unclear whether Russia will be able to accept these conditions.
For Putin, this is a very bad scenario. Putin does not want territory. He wants Ukraine," emphasized Stanova.
She predicts a series of meetings and discussions between Russia and the United States over Ukraine that will eventually reach a dead end.
"Trump will never offer Putin what he wants in Ukraine," she added.
