US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin discussed economic cooperation over sanctions, as Ukraine was unlikely to be the sole focus of their conversation.
The conversation between Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on their third call lasted two hours. While the two leaders have different interpretations of the conversation, it is likely that Ukraine was not the only topic.
Bilateral Economic Relations: A Possible Focus
Analysts believe that the call may have focused more on bilateral economic relations between Russia and the US, rather than a ceasefire in Ukraine. Mikhail Komin, a Russian political scientist, speculated that Putin’s plan for the call was to stall negotiations and prevent Trump from supporting Ukraine, which could involve additional sanctions against Russia or larger arms supplies for Ukraine.
A Memorandum on Peace: Uncertain Outcomes
Putin stated that he was prepared to work with Ukraine on a ‘memorandum‘ on a possible future peace accord. However, this proposal has been met with skepticism by analysts, who see it as a declaration of intent rather than a concrete plan. Filippenko noted that the memorandum would be ‘useless because it does not commit to anything.’
The Road Ahead: Challenges and Uncertainties
The war in Ukraine continues to cause significant damage. While Trump’s enthusiastic reaction to the phone call with Putin may have been seen as a show for his own voters at home, analysts believe that the future of the Ukraine talks is in the hands of the US State Department and Congress, which can decide on new sanctions to penalize Russia.
For now, there appears to be little chance of peace in Ukraine in the near future. As Filippenko stated, ‘Putin is absolutely certain that he will anyway conclude all the necessary agreements one way or another.’ The situation remains uncertain, with both sides seemingly dug in.
