Five days separate us from the historic January 20th, when Donald J. Trump will be inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States – but as of now, considerable progress has already taken place in one of the key foreign policy issues facing the new administration: the peace process to end the war in the Ukraine, and a new security architecture that will defuse tensions between the nuclear superpowers US and Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held his annual press conference in Moscow, and although he had criticism toward the UDS on a range of subjects, he did bring warm words of praise towards new President Trump.
He especially commended Trump’s analysis pointing at NATO’s plan to include Ukraine as one of the root causes of the conflict.
Lavrov reiterated that peace talks have to include ‘broader arrangements for security in Europe’.
Associated Press reported:
“Trump said Russia had it ‘written in stone’ that Ukraine’s membership in NATO should never be allowed, but the Biden administration had sought to expand the military alliance to Russia’s doorstep. Trump added that, ‘I could understand their feelings about that’.”
Trump’s comments lift the seriousness of discussion, moving away from the tired old trope of denouncing Russia’s action as ‘an unprovoked act of aggression’.
“’NATO did exactly what it had promised not to do, and Trump said that’, Lavrov said. ‘It marked the first such candid acknowledgement not only from a U.S. but any Western leader that NATO had lied when they signed numerous documents. They were used as a cover while NATO has expanded to our borders in violation of the agreements’.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky keeps insisting for an invitation for Kiev to join NATO, but at this point it’s become clear it’s a no-no.
Trump is determined to end the madness in Ukraine, and has declaring earlier this month that ‘Putin wants to meet’, adding that the meeting is being set up.
Minister Lavrov reminded that President Vladimir Putin is open for talks with Trump, and Moscow wants to hear Trump’s view on Ukraine when he takes office.
“Lavrov also praised comments by Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Mike Waltz, who said Sunday it’s unrealistic to expect that Ukraine could drive Russian forces ‘from every inch of Ukrainian soil’.
‘The very fact that people have increasingly started to mention the realities on the ground deserves welcome’, Lavrov said during his annual news conference in Moscow.”
Lavrov acknowledged Joe Biden’s plans to sabotage as much as he can the incoming administration, ‘slamming the door’ before Trump arrives.
One vital aspect of the Russian position is that the peace talks ‘must address Russia’s security concerns and reflect a broad European security environment’.
“’Threats on the western flank, on our western borders, must be eliminated as one of the main reasons (of the conflict)’, he said. ‘They can probably be eliminated only in the context of some broader agreements’.”
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