Ukraine War: Trump hints at a “slightly different form” for Ukraine

US President Donald Trump apparently expects concessions from Kyiv in the midst of this difficult situation. On the show “60 Minutes,” Trump again indicated that he expected an early end to the war and concessions from Ukraine.

»I think we can achieve this. I think that's how it will happen. And in the end, Ukraine will have a slightly different shape," Trump said.

Russia lays claim to the areas in eastern Ukraine that have been occupied since the beginning of the war, as well as to the rest of the eastern Donbass region still under Ukrainian control. Russia also wants to keep the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed in 2014. Ukraine points to the country's territorial integrity as enshrined in its constitution.

Trump once again expressed sympathy for Russia, but the US President did not give any clear signals of support for Ukraine. From his point of view, the biggest obstacle to ending the war is “the hatred” between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said.

Trump sees “Russia treated disrespectfully”

Reporter Ross Douthat then asked whether this was understandable on Zelensky's part given the Russian invasion. Trump replied: "Well, it is - but when they had their first meeting, Russia was treated very disrespectfully."

Trump also claimed that he was taking a tough line towards Moscow. “Nobody was tougher on Russia than me,” said Trump. Trump justified the lifting of US sanctions to enable the sale of Russian diesel because the global market needed it.

Starting on Tuesday, Russian, Ukrainian and US negotiating teams will again spend two days in Abu Dhabi discussing a possible end to the major conflict that will soon last five years. The renewed talks in the United Arab Emirates follow similar attempts in the past, which, however, always failed to achieve any decisive results.

Ideas are far apart

Russian President Putin is demanding a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the four regions that Moscow illegally annexed at an early stage of the war without fully controlling them. Ukrainian President Zelensky rejects this.

Ukraine has been defending itself against a large-scale Russian invasion since February 2022. Since the beginning of the war, the Russian military has preferred to attack energy facilities in Ukraine every autumn and winter in order to put pressure on the civilian population.