‘The Entire Agenda Is Collapsing’: The Kremlin Is Scared
- 5.03.2025, 15:19
A possible agreement with Washington is hanging in thin air.
The Kremlin fears that the scandal in the Oval Office of the White House between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky could derail a possible large-scale deal between Russia and the United States, two current Russian officials and two diplomats told The Moscow Times.
By starting negotiations with the Trump administration, Moscow expected not only to consolidate its victory in the war and the subjugation of Ukraine, but also to resolve many issues — to return diplomats and diplomatic property, achieve the lifting of sanctions, agree on joint projects in the Arctic and Russia, and receive investments and technology.
But now a possible agreement with Washington is up in the air. “We [Russia] are of interest to Trump primarily as the key to solving the problem — the war in Ukraine. If this point is dropped, the entire agenda collapses. What is there to agree on then?” the Russian diplomat said.
“The main thing that excites Trump is the opportunity to show himself as a person capable of solving a very difficult task. If Ukraine is not included in this formula, it loses its meaning,” another diplomat noted.
Russian demands in the negotiations that began in February significantly exceed Washington's natural interests, a source in the Russian government explained to The Moscow Times: “Trump is not very interested in arms control. Regional problems? He will sort them out without us. So it is too early to rejoice.”
The US decision to suspend military aid to Ukraine, which the Kremlin has been seeking since the beginning of the war, was received with a degree of surprise in Moscow. “If the US stops deliveries, this is probably the best step towards peace,” said Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov. “This is a decision that can really push the Kiev regime towards the peace process,” he added.
In the new situation, Vladimir Putin will most likely seek to convince world public opinion that Zelensky is responsible for the continuation of the war, while increasing pressure on the front to occupy as much Ukrainian territory as possible, a source close to the Kremlin told The Moscow Times.
“Since the Ukrainian side has taken this position, we must do everything to ensure that the blame for the prolongation of the conflict is placed on them. Since the strategic initiative is in our hands, it would be strange to stop. We will continue to press on the front,” he explained.
According to the source, the Kremlin expects that sooner or later Kyiv will break under pressure from the White House and Russian troops, but now the conditions will be worse than before the conflict in the Oval Office.
According to diplomats, Russian contacts with the Trump administration are continuing. “We will push our agenda, hoping that Zelensky will return to the White House — and then we can put even more pressure on him,” the diplomatic source told The Moscow Times.