The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, wants the elected U.S. President Donald Trump to assist the Ukrainian army in regaining the upper hand on the battlefield before negotiations with Putin begin. Reports TCN. This information is provided by Kontrakty.UA.
This was reported by The Telegraph on Saturday, January 18.
Citing Ukrainian officials, the publication claims that forcing Ukraine to negotiate with Russia before it regains battlefield superiority would be a catastrophic mistake.
“Officials [in Kyiv] warn that a hasty start to negotiations would only play into Putin's hands,” writes The Telegraph.
The publication notes that in order to change the situation on the battlefield, the Ukrainian armed forces are targeting Russian oil facilities and key military infrastructure in the European part of the Russian Federation.
“We need to be able to maintain such pressure if we want to enter negotiations from a position of strength. Only if Russia suffers losses will it be ready for meaningful negotiations,” quotes the publication advisor to the head of the President's Office Mykhailo Podolyak.
The Telegraph states that Donald Trump no longer talks about ending the war in Ukraine on his first day in office, but still desires a quick resolution to the conflict.
One of the factors influencing this desire is Trump's ambition to win the Nobel Peace Prize. However, to become a Nobel laureate, the U.S. president must ensure a lasting peace for Ukraine and therefore should not allow Kyiv to capitulate.
“Despite cautious optimism, Ukrainian officials are quietly preparing for the possibility of negotiating from a less than ideal position if Trump remains steadfast – assuming that Putin is even willing to negotiate,” the publication concluded.
It is worth noting that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a strong position for Ukraine in negotiations with Russia will be secured through military reinforcement on the battlefield and invitations to the EU and NATO as security guarantees.