In a comprehensive interview with Politico, US President Donald Trump assessed the current balance of negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, stating that Moscow is currently in a stronger position. He noted that Ukraine's admission to NATO was not on the real agenda from the beginning.
The editorial reports that US President Donald Trump emphasized Ukraine's weak negotiating position compared to Russia in the interview and touched upon the issue of Crimea separately. He stated that Crimea is surrounded by sea on four sides, has a large territory, and is connected to Ukraine only by a narrow coastal bridge.
Trump noted in the interview that the issue of Ukraine's NATO membership has been far from reality "long before Putin." Recalling the first meeting between Vladimir Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, he claimed that Zelensky expressed his demands in a rough tone and said that this affected the negotiations.
US President Donald Trump also stated that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro's "days are numbered" and ironically commented on Europe's strategy of supporting Ukraine. He ironically commented on the intention of European countries to support Kyiv "as long as they do not surrender.".