Moscow considers Trump's change of position a political victory - WP
In the Russian leadership, the recent decisions of US President Donald Trump regarding Ukraine are perceived as a significant diplomatic success for Moscow. The Kremlin expects that deepening divergences between Washington and Kyiv will allow Russia to secure more favorable terms for ending the war.
This is reported by The Washington Post, citing representatives of Russian elites, former US officials, and experts.
According to the publication, Moscow links the change in American policy to the recent phone conversation between Trump and Vladimir Putin. After that, Washington allowed Russian diesel fuel supplies to the world market, postponed new sanctions against the Russian Federation, and Trump intensified criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
A Russian scholar close to high-ranking diplomats called these events a political victory for Moscow. He suggested that Putin managed to convince the American president during a personal conversation.
The Russian side places particular hopes on economic rapprochement with the US. Putin's special representative, Kirill Dmitriev, previously reported on discussions of joint investment projects, particularly in the Arctic, energy, and liquefied natural gas production. Moscow also welcomed Washington's decision to relax restrictions on Russian diesel trade.
Former US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried believes that Russia took advantage of Trump's concerns about high fuel prices ahead of the midterm congressional elections. In his view, the American president seeks to show voters the effectiveness of agreements with Moscow, and Kyiv's refusal to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries complicates these plans.
Carnegie Endowment expert Andrew Weiss suggests that the Trump administration will try to accelerate the conclusion of a peace agreement by December. He believes that Russia seeks to use American diplomatic pressure to achieve Ukraine's concessions on Donbas, after which it may raise the issue of limiting Ukrainian defense capabilities.
At the same time, these assessments remain expert assumptions, not confirmed agreements between Moscow and Washington.
A new stage of diplomatic contacts began on October 20 in Oslo, where representatives of the Trump administration discussed security guarantees and possible terms for ending the war with Ukrainian and European leaders. The next step is to be negotiations between US Special Representative Steve Witkoff and Putin.
Based on materials from: The Washington Post
