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US President Donald Trump is increasingly seeking to normalize relations with Russia, even at the expense of weakening Ukraine’s position. He recently reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Russian diesel purchases and decided against imposing new sanctions on Moscow.
Trump has repeatedly described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the main obstacle to ending the war and claimed that Russia has behaved “reasonably” toward Ukraine. He is now pressing Zelenskyy more forcefully to accept a peace deal, arguing that efforts to regain Russian-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine are not worth the cost, The New York Times reports.
According to the newspaper, Trump has also suggested that Ukraine could receive financial benefits if it stops opposing a peace agreement, even one largely shaped by Moscow’s terms.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to deliver that message to Zelenskyy during a meeting in Oslo. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is expected to join the meeting remotely. Witkoff and Kushner then plan to travel to St. Petersburg to meet Putin. US officials will also seek to negotiate the release of an American who has been held in Russia for an extended period.
The NYT reports that officials are discussing the possibility of a trilateral meeting in China involving Trump, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Putin reportedly wants to broaden dialogue with Washington and discuss issues beyond the war in Ukraine.
Trump’s representatives have described the war as being at a “turning point” and insist that Zelenskyy must demonstrate his willingness to reach an agreement with Russia, even if that means “giving up sovereign territory.”
The Atlantic has argued that Trump’s hostility toward Zelenskyy goes beyond personal score-settling.
Relations between Washington and Kyiv have deteriorated sharply in recent days, raising concerns about continued US support for Ukraine. Key points of friction include the Trump administration’s demand that Ukraine stop striking Russian oil refineries, the easing of some restrictions on Russia and threats to suspend intelligence sharing.
The administration is also delaying approval for the transfer of Patriot interceptor missiles to Ukraine.
