Trump and Putin’s next meeting could be Gaza II or Alaska II |
When or if President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Budapest towards month’s end, will the outcome be a stunning Gaza II-like agreement ending, leading to an end of the Ukraine War? Or will it be a repeat of the failure in Alaska, with Putin taking Trump for another ride this time in his Zil?
The odds favor the latter, but hope springs eternal.
The fundamental questions are: What will motivate Putin to make a deal? Will Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accept it? Will Europe guarantee it? And then, will America commit to supporting it for the long term?
Trump has made it clear that Europe must buy U.S. weapons and in turn supply them to Ukraine along with other aid. He has hedged, however, on the future U.S. role in Ukraine.
Putin has made it clear that any negotiation must leave Russia with substantial Ukrainian territory under its control, acceptance of Russia’s “security concerns” that will limit Ukrainian military power, no NATO membership for Kyiv, the lifting of all sanctions and reentry into the international economic system, among others demands.
Putin also........