(AFP) — The top US and Russian diplomats discussed Saturday the “next steps” to end the war in Ukraine, hours after Kyiv’s allies agreed to exert pressure on Moscow.
Despite recent tensions between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, Kyiv has agreed in principle to a US-brokered 30-day unconditional ceasefire — if Moscow halts its attacks in eastern Ukraine.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has not, however, agreed to any truce, instead setting conditions that were beyond what was called for in the US agreement with Ukraine.
The ceasefire proposal by Trump’s team comes as Russia has momentum in many areas of the front in Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in a call on Saturday, “discussed next steps”, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has stressed his desire to end the three-year-old conflict, and has made a spectacular rapprochement with Putin. more
A cease-fire, like a draw in chess, is never agreed upon unless you feel your position is untenable. Putin is not in this position.
With the usual European stooges still backing the Little oligarch, Trump’s team needs to shift the leverage and apply it these guys, including the ICC (International Criminasl Court) in Brussels for war crimes against Zelensky.
At this stage of the game Russia needs a truce with the U.K., Germany, France, etc, just as bad as he needs one with Ukraine. Some blood thirsty SOBs. War seems to be what leaders of their countries that they have destroyed desire. And now that the nonstop flow of money out of our wallets to them is drying up shits going to get serious. Trumps got to put these elitists ass holes on a short leash. I’d much rather have Putin as an ally. At least he doesn’t insult us and then demand money.