Ukraine will not stop defending itself. The only country that can stop the war is Russia. This was stated to the Bulgarian National Radio by Margarita Asenova, Jamestown Foundation, Washington.
"Trump wants to end the war in order to be awarded, to become a Nobel Peace Prize winner. This will give him credit as a peacemaker in the world.
But how should this war stop and is this tactic successful? My conclusion is that there is no strategy, no clear tactic on how exactly to stop the war.
The way he is behaving with Zelensky and the way he is behaving with Ukraine - with the suspension of aid and with the suspension of intelligence resources that were shared so far - is typical of a strong man who is facing a smaller country. At the same time, he bows to the one he considers stronger – in this case, Putin. This strategy will lead nowhere".
However, the American president announced that he was considering new "large-scale" sanctions and tariffs against Russia after a wave of air strikes against Ukraine. Trump indicated that he is considering banking sanctions and tariffs against Moscow until a truce and a final agreement are reached.
"If Russia continues to bomb, it is possible that Trump will lift the pause on aid to Ukraine", commented Asenova..
She believes that if Europe is a strong opponent or partner, Trump will have respect for it.
"This policy that Europe has been taking in the last ten days is extremely good".
Asenova commented on Trump's words, who stated upon his inauguration that America's "Golden Age" had begun.
"So many people have lost their jobs in the last less than two months since Musk began laying off federal government workers. Entire agencies have closed. The tariffs have caused the stock market to collapse and concerns among manufacturers. "The Golden Age" is not on the horizon at all.
What Trump has promised is not what is best for America – neither for the economy, nor for foreign relations, nor for America's position as a leader in the world.
Tariffs and duties do not work for anyone. They hurt America's citizens the most. There is no way a country can be subjugated by economic sanctions. Only 37% approve of the president's foreign policy.