Trump has no idea what Putin really wants - Telegraph
Kyiv's allies mistakenly believe that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is fighting only for territorial gains. In reality, his main goal is political control over Ukraine and preventing its integration into Western alliances.
This is what British journalist, writer, and historian Owen Matthews writes, according to Censor.NET.
Details
According to him, Donald Trump believes that the Kremlin will agree to peace in exchange for new territories. However, Moscow is not seeking a "piece of Donbas," but rather mechanisms to influence Ukraine's domestic policy—from language issues to elections and church matters.
Back in 2008, the then US ambassador to Moscow, William Burns, warned that Ukraine's desire to join NATO was an "emotionally painful issue" for Russia and could provoke intervention. Today, this scenario has effectively come to pass.
At the same time, the war has not weakened but strengthened Ukrainian identity and reduced the chances of pro-Russian authorities coming to power in Kyiv. Despite this, the Kremlin continues to demand guarantees that would allow it to maintain its influence over Ukraine, in particular through security models with the right to intervene.
According to Matthews, the key reason for the fruitless negotiations is that Putin is not ready to accept the existence of a free, pro-Western Ukraine — and this remains the main obstacle to peace.
