Aimed at striking a deal: Axios explained why Trump's rhetoric sometimes sounds pro-Russian
Kyiv • UNN
American officials claim that Trump's rhetoric, if at times it sounds pro-Russian, is aimed at striking a deal. Trump seeks a personal meeting with Putin to assess his readiness for peace.
American officials claim that if US President Donald Trump's rhetoric sometimes sounds pro-Russian, it is because he believes that such public statements will help him strike a deal, Axios reports, writes UNN.
Details
After a series of mostly inconclusive phone calls over the past six months, Trump is eager to meet Putin face-to-face to assess his readiness for peace, US officials say.
"The president feels that, look, I have to look at this guy across the table... I want to look this guy in the eye. I think we'll know very early on whether this thing has a chance of succeeding or not," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told radio host Sid Rosenberg on Tuesday.
Zelenskyy and other European leaders are concerned that when Trump looks Putin in the eye, he will actually agree to his harsh demands.
"Right now, no one knows what Trump wants to get from Putin on Friday. We don't know what influence we can have on Trump, but we must keep trying," a Ukrainian official told Axios.
At the same time, as the publication writes, "U.S. officials argue that if Trump's rhetoric sounds pro-Russian at times, it's because he believes that kind of public messaging will help him get a deal."
One of those interviewed told Axios that Trump is still "furious" at Putin. "For months, the general opinion was that we could crash the Russian economy tomorrow. There are more ways to destroy Ukraine. But if he had to choose a side, he would start destroying the Russian economy. He's really had enough," the source said.
An American official stated that even if diplomatic efforts fail, Trump will continue to sell weapons to NATO countries for Ukraine.
"Maybe Trump won't be able to do it, but he'll do his best," the official said.