Wednesday, March 15, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, and Russia's leader Vladimir Putin, held a telephone conversation on the anticipation of ending the war in Ukraine. This gathering has sparked many controversy and critical comments from politicians and experts around the world.
One of them was erstwhile Prime Minister and Head of the Swedish MFA, Carl Bildt, who stated on the X portal that Trump had moved further in his concessions towards Putin than the Prime Minister of large Britain, Neville Chamberlain, in 1938 against Adolf Hitler. "It is surely an innovative approach to negotiations to make very large concessions before they begin," Bildt wrote. "Even Chamberlain did not go that far in 1938. Munich ended badly anyway," he added.
During the conversation, Trump and Putin discussed the anticipation of ending the war in Ukraine. The U.S. president expressed the view that Ukraine's accession to NATO was “unreal”. Furthermore, he stated that it is improbable that Kiev would recover all its lands occupied by Russia.
NATO Secretary-General, Mark Rutte, has been asked by journalists whether Trump's talks with Russian and Ukrainian leaders mean "the beginning of the betrayal of Ukraine". Rutte stated that there was an impression that the Wednesday conversation between US and Russian leaders was good. “We will see how this develops step by step. It is crucial that Ukraine be active in everything that concerns it," he said.
It is worth reminding that the war in Ukraine has been going on since 2014 and has already consumed over 13,000 fatalities. This conflict is 1 of the biggest challenges for global safety in the 21st century.
According to UN data, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, over 3.5 million people have been displaced from their homes and over 600,000 people have crossed the border with Russia. Furthermore, Ukraine's economy has collapsed and the country's GDP has fallen by over 60% over the last 5 years.
In this context, Donald Trump's initiative to start negotiations with Russia on the war in Ukraine has sparked much controversy. U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, stated that this initiative is not a ‘fail’ of Ukraine. "It is crucial that Ukraine is active in everything that concerns it," he said.
Nevertheless, many European countries and global organisations, including NATO, express their support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. “We all want peace in Ukraine. It is crucial that the agreement, erstwhile it is reached, is permanent, that Putin knows that this is the end, that he can never occupy even a fragment of Ukraine," said NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
Finally, it is worth noting that global policy is simply a complex and dynamic process which requires constant attention and analysis. In this context, Donald Trump's initiative to start negotiations with Russia on the war in Ukraine is only 1 of many factors that can affect the destiny of the planet in the coming years.
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Great Politics: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, a gathering that can change the destiny of the world
