MOSCOW (AP) — By saying Ukraine’s NATO membership is “impractical” and the return of Russian-occupied territories to Kyiv is “illusionary,” the Trump administration is giving its blessing to key items on President Vladimir Putin’s wish list — even before a potential settlement of the conflict.
Rarely was a policy change between Moscow and Washington so swift and drastic than President Donald Trump’s phone call with Putin, abruptly ending a three-year, U.S.-led effort to isolate the Russian leader over Ukraine.
And the fighting in Ukraine wasn’t the only issue the two leaders discussed in Wednesday’s call. They talked about the Middle East settlement, the role of the dollar, global energy markets and even artificial intelligence.
The broad agenda was exactly what Putin has long wanted – Russia and the U.S. sitting down to talk about global issues while the rest of the world stood by.
It’s unclear how the prospective Ukraine peace talks could evolve, but the call already has marked a watershed, immediately breaking the ice between Moscow and Washington.