Latest news with #Russian-US
Irish Independent
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Steve Holland: Which version of Donald Trump will show up to negotiations with Vladimir Putin?
Trump flies to a meeting in Alaska with Putin today in a different public mood: impatient with the Russian's unwillingness to negotiate an end to his war in Ukraine and angry over missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. The world is waiting to see if it will be this tougher version of Trump who shows up in Anchorage, or if it will be the former real estate tycoon who has sought to ingratiate himself with the wily former KGB agent in the past. The answer could have deep implications for European leaders concerned that Russia, if allowed to absorb parts of Ukraine, will be more aggressive toward Nato allies near Russia like Poland, Estonia and Latvia. It matters even more for Ukraine, which has been losing ground to Russian forces after three-and-a-half years of grinding combat. Despite his harsher tone toward Putin over the past months, Trump has a more extensive history of trying to placate the Russian leader. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Trump declined to directly criticise Putin. The Russian leader, shunned by multiple presidents, praised Trump for working to improve Russian-US relations. Kremlin watchers are looking to see whether Trump will be enchanted by Putin again and swayed by his argument that Russia has a right to dominate Ukraine. Dan Fried, a diplomat for several US presidents who is now at the Atlantic Council, said: 'It's a reasonable concern to think that Trump will be bamboozled by Putin and cut a terrible deal at Ukraine's expense.' But a different outcome is also possible, Fried added. 'There's a reasonable prospect that the administration will wake up to the fact that Putin is still playing them,' he said. The Trump administration has sought to temper expectations, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters the meeting would be a 'listening exercise'. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he might broker a second meeting that includes both Putin and Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky if the Alaska session goes well, and said yesterday that this second meeting would be more important. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Russia has given no indication it is prepared to make concessions amid Ukrainian worries that Trump might make a deal without their input. Zelensky says he would like to see a ceasefire first followed by security guarantees. Putin has talked to Trump regularly, but has kept up bombing raids against Ukraine When Trump assumed office again in January, the Republican president tried to revive the warmth between the two leaders from his first term, expressing sympathy for Putin's isolated position in the world and vowing to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. As the administration eased pressure on Russia, some Trump aides parroted Russian talking points to the dismay of Ukraine's backers. In March, US special envoy Steve Witkoff implied in a podcast interview with Tucker Carlson that Russia had a right to capture four mainland regions of Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – because 'they're Russian speaking'. And in a dramatic White House meeting in February, Trump and vice-president JD Vance berated Zelensky for his handling of the war, to the delight of hardliners in Russia. Despite all the sweeteners, the Russian leader has refused to play along with Trump's efforts to steer the two sides into a peace deal. Putin has talked to Trump regularly, but has kept up deadly bombing raids against Ukraine. The ongoing bloodshed prompted Trump to shift to a tougher stance last month and complain that Putin was stalling him. Trump has agreed to send new weapons to Ukraine – that Europe will pay for – and has threatened new financial penalties for Moscow. On Wednesday, he threatened 'severe consequences' if Russia will not make a deal. For Trump, who is drawn to the spectacle of a high-profile summit with the world watching, the lure of making a deal is strong. He has engaged in an open campaign for a Nobel Peace Prize this year, pointing to what he has claimed as his diplomatic victories, and has unnerved US allies with his eagerness for a Ukraine peace deal that they fret could embolden Putin. In recent days, Ukrainian and European leaders have protested Trump's assertion that Russia and Ukraine will have to engage in land swaps in order to reach a peace deal. While Russia occupies Crimea and large swaths of eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainians no longer hold any Russian territory, raising the question of what, exactly, could be exchanged. John Bolton, who was one of Trump's national security advisers in his first term and is now a sharp critic, said he was concerned that Putin was 'beginning to work his magic' on Trump. 'Personal relations obviously have a place in foreign affairs, just like they do in everything else. But when you're one of the world's hard men like Vladimir Putin, this is not a matter of emotion, this is a matter of cold calculation. Trump doesn't get that point,' Bolton said.
Qatar Tribune
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
No joint statement planned after Trump-Putin summit, says Kremlin
MoscowcTypeface:> No joint statement is planned after the summit between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. 'No, nothing is to be expected, nothing has been prepared, and it is unlikely that there will be any document,' Peskov told the Russian news agency Interfax. 'Given that there will be a joint press conference, the president will of course outline the scope of the agreements and arrangements that can be reached,' he added, speaking ahead of Friday's summit in the US state of Alaska. Peskov said it would be a mistake to try to anticipate the outcome of the meeting at this stage. He added that the summit had been prepared at very short notice. He later told Russian state television that Trump has an extremely unusual approach to the most difficult issues - something, he said, that is highly appreciated in Moscow and by Putin personally. Ukraine's point of view should be taken into account 'in subsequent stages,' Peskov said. 'At present, this is a Russian-US meeting at the highest level.' (DPA)
NDTV
21 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Explained: Which Version Of Trump Will Negotiate With Putin In Alaska?
Washington: When US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Helsinki in 2018, the pair alarmed allies with a friendly encounter where Trump sided with the Russian leader over his own intelligence agencies on election interference. Trump flies to a meeting in Alaska with Putin on Friday in a different public mood - impatient with the Russian's unwillingness to negotiate an end to his war in Ukraine and angry over missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. The world is waiting to see if it will be this tougher version of Trump who shows up in Anchorage or if it will be the former real estate tycoon who has sought to ingratiate himself with the wily former KGB agent in the past. The answer could have deep implications for European leaders concerned that Russia, if allowed to absorb parts of Ukraine, will be more aggressive toward NATO allies near Russia like Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. It matters even more for Ukraine, which has been losing ground to Russian forces after three-and-a-half years of grinding combat. Despite his harsher tone toward Putin over the past months, Trump has a more extensive history of trying to placate the Russian leader. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Trump declined to directly criticize Putin. The Russian president, shunned by multiple presidents, praised Trump for working to improve Russian-US relations. Kremlin watchers are looking to see whether Trump will be enchanted by Putin again and swayed by his argument that Russia has a right to dominate Ukraine. "It's a reasonable concern to think that Trump will be bamboozled by Putin and cut a terrible deal at Ukraine's expense," said Dan Fried, a diplomat for several US presidents who is now at the Atlantic Council. But a different outcome is also possible, added Fried. "There's a reasonable prospect that the administration will wake up to the fact that Putin is still playing them." The Trump administration has sought to temper expectations, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters on Tuesday the meeting would be a "listening exercise." Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he might broker a second meeting that includes both Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy if the Alaska session goes well. Russia has given no indication it is prepared to make concessions amid Ukrainian worries that Trump might make a deal without their input. Zelenskiy says he would like to see a ceasefire first followed by security guarantees. Sweeteners And Complaints When Trump assumed office again in January, the Republican president tried to revive the warmth between the two leaders from his first term, expressing sympathy for Putin's isolated position in the world and vowing to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. As the administration eased pressure on Russia, some Trump aides parroted Russian talking points to the dismay of Ukraine's backers. In March, US special envoy Steve Witkoff implied in a podcast interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that Russia had a right to capture four mainland regions of Ukraine - Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson - because "they're Russian speaking." And in a dramatic White House meeting in February, Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelenskiy for his handling of the war, to the delight of hardliners in Russia. Despite all the sweeteners, the Russian leader has refused to play along with Trump's efforts to steer the two sides into a peace deal. Putin has talked to Trump regularly but has kept up deadly bombing raids against Ukraine. The ongoing bloodshed prompted Trump to shift to a tougher stance in July and complain that Putin was stalling him. Trump has agreed to send new weapons to Ukraine - that Europe will pay for - and has threatened new financial penalties for Moscow. Trump last week imposed a 25% tariff on India for buying Russian oil - indirect pressure on Moscow - but has held back from following through on his threats to impose stiffer sanctions. On Wednesday, he threatened "severe consequences" if Russia will not make a deal. "While the tone coming out of the White House has shifted, it has not yet been followed up with an expansion of US sanctions - Trump's deadlines for additional sanctions keep getting pushed back - or new financial commitments from Washington to strengthen Ukrainian security," said Nicolas Fenton, of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. On Monday, Trump said he should know within two minutes whether Putin is willing to make concessions. "I may say, lots of luck. Keep fighting. Or I may say, we can make a deal," he said. The Lure Of The Deal For Trump, who is drawn to the spectacle of a high-profile summit with the world watching, the lure of making a deal is strong. He has engaged in an open campaign for a Nobel Peace Prize this year, pointing to what he has claimed as his diplomatic victories, and has unnerved US allies with his eagerness for a Ukraine peace deal that they fret could embolden Putin. In recent days, Ukrainian and European leaders have protested Trump's assertion that Russia and Ukraine will have to engage in land swaps in order to reach a peace deal. While Russia occupies Crimea and large swaths of eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainians no longer hold any Russian territory, raising the question of what, exactly, could be exchanged. Trump insists that, given his personal relationship with Putin, he is the only one who can bring the war to an end. John Bolton, who was one of Trump's national security advisers in his first term and is now a sharp critic, said he was concerned that Putin was "beginning to work his magic" on Trump. "Personal relations obviously have a place in foreign affairs, just like they do in everything else. But when you're one of the world's hard men like Vladimir Putin, this is not a matter of emotion, this is a matter of cold calculation. Trump doesn't get that point," Bolton said. In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump complained that "very unfair media is at work on my meeting with Putin," citing the use of quotes from "fired losers" like Bolton.
Business Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Times
Which Donald Trump will negotiate with Putin in Alaska?
[WASHINGTON] When US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Helsinki in 2018, the pair alarmed allies with a friendly encounter where Trump sided with the Russian leader over his own intelligence agencies on election interference. Trump flies to a meeting in Alaska with Putin on Friday (Aug 15) in a different public mood - impatient with the Russian's unwillingness to negotiate an end to his war in Ukraine and angry over missile strikes on Ukrainian cities. The world is waiting to see if it will be this tougher version of Trump who shows up in Anchorage or if it will be the former real estate tycoon who has sought to ingratiate himself with the wily former KGB agent in the past. The answer could have deep implications for European leaders concerned that Russia, if allowed to absorb parts of Ukraine, will be more aggressive toward Nato allies near Russia like Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. It matters even more for Ukraine, which has been losing ground to Russian forces after three-and-a-half years of grinding combat. Despite his harsher tone toward Putin over the past months, Trump has a more extensive history of trying to placate the Russian leader. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Trump declined to directly criticise Putin. The Russian president, shunned by multiple presidents, praised Trump for working to improve Russian-US relations. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Kremlin watchers are looking to see whether Trump will be enchanted by Putin again and swayed by his argument that Russia has a right to dominate Ukraine. 'It's a reasonable concern to think that Trump will be bamboozled by Putin and cut a terrible deal at Ukraine's expense,' said Dan Fried, a diplomat for several US presidents who is now at the Atlantic Council. But a different outcome is also possible, added Fried. 'There's a reasonable prospect that the administration will wake up to the fact that Putin is still playing them.' The Trump administration has sought to temper expectations, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters on Tuesday the meeting would be a 'listening exercise.' Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he might broker a second meeting that includes both Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy if the Alaska session goes well. Russia has given no indication it is prepared to make concessions amid Ukrainian worries that Trump might make a deal without their input. Zelenskiy says he would like to see a ceasefire first followed by security guarantees. When Trump assumed office again in January, the Republican president tried to revive the warmth between the two leaders from his first term, expressing sympathy for Putin's isolated position in the world and vowing to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. As the administration eased pressure on Russia, some Trump aides parroted Russian talking points to the dismay of Ukraine's backers. In March, US special envoy Steve Witkoff implied in a podcast interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that Russia had a right to capture four mainland regions of Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson - because 'they're Russian speaking.' And in a dramatic White House meeting in February, Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelenskiy for his handling of the war, to the delight of hardliners in Russia. Despite all the sweeteners, the Russian leader has refused to play along with Trump's efforts to steer the two sides into a peace deal. Putin has talked to Trump regularly but has kept up deadly bombing raids against Ukraine. The ongoing bloodshed prompted Trump to shift to a tougher stance in July and complain that Putin was stalling him. Trump has agreed to send new weapons to Ukraine – that Europe will pay for – and has threatened new financial penalties for Moscow. Trump last week imposed a 25% tariff on India for buying Russian oil – indirect pressure on Moscow – but has held back from following through on his threats to impose stiffer sanctions. On Wednesday, he threatened 'severe consequences' if Russia will not make a deal. 'While the tone coming out of the White House has shifted, it has not yet been followed up with an expansion of US sanctions – Trump's deadlines for additional sanctions keep getting pushed back – or new financial commitments from Washington to strengthen Ukrainian security,' said Nicolas Fenton, of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. On Monday, Trump said he should know within two minutes whether Putin is willing to make concessions. 'I may say, lots of luck. Keep fighting. Or I may say, we can make a deal,' he said. For Trump, who is drawn to the spectacle of a high-profile summit with the world watching, the lure of making a deal is strong. He has engaged in an open campaign for a Nobel Peace Prize this year, pointing to what he has claimed as his diplomatic victories, and has unnerved US allies with his eagerness for a Ukraine peace deal that they fret could embolden Putin. In recent days, Ukrainian and European leaders have protested Trump's assertion that Russia and Ukraine will have to engage in land swaps in order to reach a peace deal. While Russia occupies Crimea and large swaths of eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainians no longer hold any Russian territory, raising the question of what, exactly, could be exchanged. Trump insists that, given his personal relationship with Putin, he is the only one who can bring the war to an end. John Bolton, who was one of Trump's national security advisers in his first term and is now a sharp critic, said he was concerned that Putin was 'beginning to work his magic' on Trump. 'Personal relations obviously have a place in foreign affairs, just like they do in everything else. But when you're one of the world's hard men like Vladimir Putin, this is not a matter of emotion, this is a matter of cold calculation. Trump doesn't get that point,' Bolton said. In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump complained that 'very unfair media is at work on my meeting with Putin,' citing the use of quotes from 'fired losers' like Bolton. REUTERS
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Trump's friendly-to-frustrated relationship with Putin takes the spotlight at Alaska summit
Russia questions during the 2016 campaign Months before he was first elected president, Trump cast doubt on findings from US intelligence agencies that Russian government hackers had stolen emails from Democrats, including his opponent Hillary Clinton, and released them in an effort to hurt her campaign and boost Trump's. In one 2016 appearance, he shockingly called on Russian hackers to find emails that Clinton had reportedly deleted. 'Russia, if you're listening,' Trump said, 'I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing.' Questions about his connections to Russia dogged much of his first term, touching off investigations by the Justice Department and Congress and leading to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller, who secured multiple convictions against Trump aides and allies but did not establish proof of a criminal conspiracy between Moscow and the Trump campaign. These days, Trump describes the Russia investigation as an affinity he and Putin shared. 'Putin went through a hell of a lot with me,' Trump said earlier this year. 'He went through a phony witch hunt where they used him and Russia. Russia, Russia, Russia, ever hear of that deal?' Putin in 2019 mocked the investigation and its ultimate findings, saying, "A mountain gave birth to a mouse.' 'He just said it's not Russia' Trump met with Putin six times during his first term, including a 2018 summit in Helsinki, when Trump stunned the world by appearing to side with an American adversary on the question of whether Russia meddled in the 2016 election. 'I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today," Trump said. 'He just said it's not Russia. I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be." Facing intense blowback, Trump tried to walk back the comment a full 24 hours later. But he raised doubt on that reversal by saying other countries could have also interfered. Putin referred to Helsinki summit as 'the beginning of the path' back from Western efforts to isolate Russia. He also made clear that he had wanted Trump to win in 2016. 'Yes, I wanted him to win because he spoke of normalization of Russian-US ties,' Putin said. 'Isn't it natural to feel sympathy to a person who wanted to develop relations with our country?" Trump calls Putin 'pretty smart' after invasion of Ukraine The two leaders kept up their friendly relationship after Trump left the White House under protest in 2021. After Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, Trump described the Russian leader in positive terms. 'I mean, he's taking over a country for $2 worth of sanctions. I'd say that's pretty smart,' Trump said at his Mar-a-Lago resort. In a radio interview that week, he suggested that Putin was going into Ukraine to 'be a peacekeeper.' Trump repeatedly said the invasion of Ukraine would never have happened if he had been in the White House — a claim Putin endorsed while lending his support to Trump's false claims of election fraud. 'I couldn't disagree with him that if he had been president, if they hadn't stolen victory from him in 2020, the crisis that emerged in Ukraine in 2022 could have been avoided,' he said. Trump also repeatedly boasted that he could have the fighting 'settled' within 24 hours. Through much of his campaign, Trump criticized US support for Ukraine and derided Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a 'salesman' for persuading Washington to provide weapons and funding to his country. Revisiting the relationship Once he became president, Trump stopped claiming he'd solve the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. In March, he said he was "being a little bit sarcastic' when he said that. Since the early days of Trump's second term, Putin has pushed for a summit while trying to pivot from the Ukrainian conflict by emphasizing the prospect of launching joint US-Russian economic projects, among other issues. 'We'd better meet and have a calm conversation on all issues of interest to both the United States and Russia based on today's realities,' Putin said in January. In February, things looked favorable for Putin when Trump had a blowup with Zelenskyy at the White House, berating him as 'disrespectful." In late March, Trump still spoke of trusting Putin when it came to hopes for a ceasefire, saying, 'I don't think he's going to go back on his word." But a month later, as Russian strikes escalated, Trump posted a public and personal plea on his social media account: 'Vladimir, STOP!' He began voicing more frustration with the Russian leader, saying he was 'Just tapping me along.' In May, he wrote on social media that Putin 'has gone absolutely CRAZY!' Earlier this month, Trump ordered the repositioning of two US nuclear submarines 'based on the highly provocative statements' of the country's former president, Dmitry Medvedev. Trump's vocal protests about Putin have tempered somewhat since he announced their meeting, but so have his predictions for what he might accomplish. Speaking to reporters Monday, Trump described their upcoming summit not as the occasion in which he'd finally get the conflict 'settled' but instead as 'really a feel-out meeting, a little bit.' 'I think it'll be good,' Trump said. 'But it might be bad.'
