The Economist, citing sources, reported that US President Donald Trump is not trying to force Ukraine into capitulation but has instead fallen victim to a successful Russian information operation.
According to the claims, a sharp drop in his ratings ahead of the midterm elections has alarmed Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is a convenient “scapegoat” for him. It is also noted that Trump’s representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner made a mistake by linking Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s motives not to nationalism but to economic and territorial interests. This makes them vulnerable to Russian manipulation.
The publication writes that Trump is creating a dire situation, yet he also depends on fools.
Speaking to Globalinfo.az, political analyst Gabil Huseynli said that the midterm elections to be held on November 3 are an important test for the Republican Party:
“Voters’ discontent over the economic situation, the cost of living and fuel prices is putting pressure on the White House. In such conditions, it is politically important for Trump to stop the war in Ukraine quickly and present it as his own diplomatic success. But the problem is that the desire to end the war quickly and the achievement of a durable peace are not the same thing. If Washington’s main goal is to reach an agreement as quickly as possible, then the substance of the demands put forward by Moscow may be pushed to the background. As a result, instead of the side that started the war bearing responsibility for its actions, the side that was subjected to the war may be asked for more concessions.
Gabil Huseynli
For the Russian leader, the war in Ukraine is not just a territorial issue. Moscow also aims to influence Ukraine’s future foreign policy course, limit its integration with the West and preserve its leverage in the post-Soviet space. That is why it is not enough to explain Putin‘s motives solely by economic and territorial interests. The demands Moscow puts forward under the guise of its concept of security also affect Ukraine’s ability to make sovereign decisions.
If Trump’s team believes that Moscow’s main goal is economic benefit and control over certain territories, this could lead to a misjudgment of the negotiations. Because reaching agreement on economic concessions or on the territorial issue does not mean that Russia will abandon its broader strategic goals. On the contrary, Moscow may use the talks to gain both territorial and political advantages.”
Turan Rzayev
Globalinfo.az
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