Conflict escalates

Putin wants more than a “tea party” from the USA

Trump continues his attacks against Ukraine.

(Bild: AP)

Russia and the USA are continuing their diplomatic rapprochement - power games included. Vladimir Putin has now also commented on the meeting of foreign ministers between the two powers in Saudi Arabia and put the brakes on a little. Meanwhile, Donald Trump caused another verbal derailment ...

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday that Washington and the Kremlin had agreed to resume diplomatic relations. However, this would require more than a "tea party".

Further preparations would have to be made in order to be able to hold a personal meeting with the US President, as relations were still too poor. "Without strengthening trust between Russia and the United States, it is impossible to solve problems, including the Ukraine crisis." 

On the other side of the Atlantic, Trump went one better against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. On social media, he called his counterpart a "dictator without elections" and thus finally aligned himself with the Kremlin. He also accused him of embezzling aid funds without providing any proof. The Ukrainian president had previously accused Trump of being in a "disinformation bubble".

Trump's statement represents a new level of escalation. Russia and the USA are currently in the process of dividing up Ukraine, according to a common accusation. According to Moscow, the two superpowers discussed possible elections in Ukraine at their meeting of foreign ministers. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this in Moscow, adding: "Of course, a decision on this cannot be made in Moscow or Washington."

There had been a "certain exchange of views" on this topic at the meeting between Foreign Ministers Marco Rubio and Sergei Lavrov in Riyadh on Tuesday, Peskov said.

He added again: "But of course it must not go any further." It is above all Moscow that has been portraying Zelensky as illegitimate since last year. On Tuesday, Peskov also said that Putin was prepared to meet with Zelensky. However, he was not authorized to make valid agreements because his term of office expired in May 2024.

Elections suspended during the war
In Ukraine, the current martial law suspends elections during a war. Selensky's powers are therefore not in doubt. There is also a broad consensus in the country not to vote as long as there is shooting and the participation of soldiers and refugees at home and abroad would be difficult.

Moscow is using the pretext of Zelensky's lack of authority, although Putin is only in power in Russia thanks to a series of increasingly unfree votes. However, it would be advantageous for the Kremlin to keep the uncomfortable Zelensky out of talks about ending the war.

Trump adopts Russian rhetoric
Meanwhile, the Russian position - like the rejection of Ukrainian NATO membership - has resonated with the Republicans and Trump. The US President himself increased the pressure on Kiev with his comments on Tuesday in Florida.

"If they want a seat at the (negotiating) table, you might say, wouldn't the people of Ukraine say: It's been a long time since we've had elections?" he asked. This was not a Russian idea, Trump asserted. "This comes from me, and it comes from other countries, too." He also blamed the Ukrainian side for the Russian war of aggression. 

The exclusion of Ukraine and the Europeans from the meeting in Riyadh heightened concerns in Europe that Trump could be prepared to give up too much for little in return from Putin. The Europeans are therefore already discussing the possibility of sending soldiers to Ukraine to support a possible agreement.

Trump's haste is stoking fears of a peace deal with Putin over the heads of Europeans, which could jeopardize Europe's security and massively change the geopolitical landscape.