ISW: Kremlin tries to manipulate Trump ahead of new round of "peace" talks
Kyiv • UNN
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is trying to convince the US to negotiate only with Russia, and not with Ukraine and Europe. The Kremlin seeks to use economic agreements and arms talks to extract concessions from Trump on Ukraine.
The Kremlin continues to use issues unrelated to the war in Ukraine to pressure the administration of US President Donald Trump to concede to Russia's demands regarding Ukraine. This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), as reported by UNN.
Details
Analysts point out that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov used an interview with Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin on February 1 to try to curry favor with the Trump administration ahead of upcoming meetings and to persuade the United States to negotiate only with Russia, and not with Ukraine and Europe.
Lavrov compared Russia to the United States, calling it "just as great a power," and stated that the two countries should implement bilateral economic and trade projects without allowing any disagreements to lead to confrontation, especially a "hot" one. Lavrov also stated that Europe is trying to "drive a wedge" between Russia and the United States.
According to analysts, the Kremlin is using negotiation tactics that attempt to present Russia as a global power comparable to the United States, and as the heir to the Soviet Union's "superpower status" from the moment Donald Trump takes office as US president in early 2025.
"Lavrov's statements on February 1 are intended to use the prospects of economic agreements or strategic arms negotiations to induce Trump to concede to Russia's demands regarding Ukraine, including the Kremlin's demands that the United States not involve Europe in the peace process," ISW summarizes.
Recall
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a trilateral meeting - Ukraine, the US, and Russia - would take place on February 4 and 5 in the UAE.