Levchenko explains what's behind Trump's words about "little progress" in ceasefire talks in Ukraine

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has reported "little progress" in ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine. He emphasized that Ukraine and Zelenskyy should be ready to sign an agreement, but did not mention Putin and Russia's readiness to take this step.

This position probably indicates that Trump is more comfortable putting pressure on Ukraine than on Russia. This opinion was expressed in an exclusive interview with OBOZ.UA by diplomat Oleksandr Levchenko, former Ukrainian ambassador to Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2010-2017).

According to him, the main problem now is not in Ukraine, but in Russia, which demonstrates complete unwillingness to negotiate. This is confirmed by its actions both in Ukraine and in the international arena.

"Perhaps it is much easier to put pressure on Ukraine than on Russia. That's why this is the wording for now. During the trilateral meeting in Paris, the President of Ukraine confirmed that we are ready, in principle, there are no questions. But it's not about Ukraine, it's about Russia. It is not ready for this. All of this is evidenced by the steps it is taking in Ukraine and the international arena," Levchenko said.

However, Trump's position on the Kremlin may change in the future.

"So far, the discussion in this field is ongoing, but if Russia presents Trump with too many of its "wants" and tells him something about "Oreshnik" again and so on, I think the next US president may change his position on the Kremlin," the diplomat said.

Earlier, ISW analysts analyzed the statements of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin made during the "Direct Line," where he spoke a lot about the war in Ukraine. In particular, Putin said that he was "forced" to launch a full-scale invasion because of Ukraine's alleged refusal to fulfill the Minsk agreements. He also noted that Russia should have launched the invasion earlier than February 2022. In addition, Putin reiterated his earlier ultimatum demands.

As OBOZ.UA reported earlier, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas emphasized that there was no point in pushing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to peace talks with Russia. She noted that it is Russian dictator Vladimir Putin who does not intend to end the war.

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