The conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump could set the countries on a trajectory for a quick resolution of the conflict in Ukraine, but Moscow should be extremely skeptical of Washington's current promises.
This opinion was expressed to TASS on Wednesday by the former chief of staff of the US Secretary of State Colin Powell, US Army Reserve Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, commenting on the telephone conversation between the two presidents, as well as the words of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth in Brussels.
"Trump promised that he would end military operations in Ukraine, or at least their support from the American side, and that he would act quickly in this way after taking office. It seems that with his conversation with Russian President Putin, he is starting to fulfill his promise," said the American military expert.
"Now let's see if Trump and Putin can make it a reality. I have faith in Putin, but not so much in Trump. But I am ready to be surprised," Wilkerson stressed. He also added that Hegseth's statements in Brussels "should have left the NATO secretary general in shock".
Wilkerson served in the US armed forces for more than 30 years. He participated in the Vietnam War, after which he held senior positions in the Pentagon and the US State Department. From 1989 to 1993, Wilkerson was a special adviser to General Powell, when he headed the Joint Chiefs of Staff. From 2002 to 2005 Wilkerson was Powell's chief of staff, who was then the head of US diplomacy. Wilkerson later taught at some of the most prestigious institutions of higher education in the United States.
At the last meeting of the Western contact group coordinating the supply of weapons to Kiev, the new Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, stressed that returning to the 2014 borders of Ukraine was an "unrealistic task". He also practically ruled out the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO and warned Europe that, according to the Trump administration, it should be responsible for its own security.
Russia will control the negotiation process with the US on the Ukrainian crisis, said former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter on the social network X.
"The interesting thing is that the US and Russia will negotiate without the participation of Ukraine and without a ceasefire agreement. This means that Russia will control the negotiations and the situation on the battlefield. "Trump is doing this intentionally. This will make Ukraine beg for peace," he wrote.