Trump views Ukraine as losing political asset and seeks way out – Ivan Timofeev

Ivan Timofeev, Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and Program Director of the Valdai International Discussion Club, spoke to Alpha News on the sidelines of a discussion on “The International Situation Around Iran: Trends and Risks.”

He commented on the prospects for a peace agreement in Ukraine, as well as Europe’s relations with the United States and Russia, in light of Donald Trump’s recent statements regarding Greenland.

“A complex diplomatic and negotiating process is underway—primarily between Russia and the United States. It has been going on for quite some time—it’ll be a year soon—and even then we warned against expecting any quick breakthroughs. This is even more so now: the conflict affects not only Russian-Ukrainian relations, but also a broader range of issues, and even in the bilateral dimension, it is extremely complex. It is good that the dialogue is continuing, but I would be cautious about overly optimistic expectations. The US President periodically states that the parties are ‘just around the corner’ from reaching an agreement, but we see that much work remains. Another important question concerns the parameters of a possible deal and, above all, its feasibility and sustainability. Let us recall the Minsk agreements—Minsk I and Minsk II—they were signed but ultimately sabotaged and never implemented. Therefore, it is worth monitoring the negotiations closely and understanding that reality is complex, and untangling this knot will take a long time,” Timofeev said.

The expert noted that, amid tensions between the US and Europe over Greenland, Trump views Ukraine as a losing political asset and seeks a way out.

“We are truly witnessing a debate between the US and European countries unprecedented in recent decades: a key ally is essentially raising the issue of another ally’s territory. While the Greenland issue has been raised before, it has now taken on a completely different political tone and is causing serious frustration in the EU. Furthermore, Donald Trump has a distinctive position on Ukraine. While support was previously taken for granted, the logic now is, ‘You’re fighting, so you should compensate us for our assistance.’ Military and technical support for Kyiv continues, but the political emphasis has noticeably shifted. Apparently, Trump views Ukraine as a losing political asset and seeks a way out,” Timofeev noted.