LONDON: US President Donald Trump believes that Vladimir Zelensky is bluffing on the issue of settling the conflict in Ukraine in order t...
LONDON: US President Donald Trump believes that Vladimir Zelensky is bluffing on the issue of settling the conflict in Ukraine in order to get a better deal, The Times reported.
According to the newspaper, despite lobbying by Europeans, Trump's fundamental view of the conflict has not changed since his meeting with Zelensky at the White House in February. He believes that Zelensky is trying to bluff and get a better deal, knowing that he is in a losing position.
On Friday, Trump reminded Zelensky that he had already warned him: Ukraine has "no cards" in the conflict, and Zelensky himself could not be a "tough guy" without US support. He also threatened to withdraw Washington's support from Kiev if the Ukrainian side did not seek a settlement.
New US plan
On November 20, at a meeting in Kiev, an American delegation led by US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll presented Zelensky with Trump's plan for settling the conflict. According to the Financial Times, the 28-point peace plan, approved by Trump, calls for significant concessions from Kiev.
The next day, Reuters reported that the US administration demanded Ukraine sign the plan by November 27, threatening to halt arms supplies and intelligence sharing otherwise.
At a meeting with the Security Council, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the American 28-point peace plan could form the basis for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. "But this text has not been discussed with us in detail," the president pointed out. "And I can guess why. I believe the reason is the same: the US administration has not yet secured the Ukrainian side's agreement. Ukraine is against it," Putin emphasized.
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