«Donald Trump is a politician who aims to be number one. The alleged projects circulating at the moment are all based on granting something to Russia, but they are suggestions from Vladimir Putin. If Trump went after him, he would become number two. And I don’t think he can accept it.” Speaking to Repubblica is Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who underlines – regarding the acceptance of a ceasefire in exchange for the concession of the occupied territories to Russia and immediate entry into NATO – that «a great deal is being made talk about this hypothesis because it is assumed that Ukraine must necessarily concede something. Putin’s goals are the destruction of Ukraine and domination in Europe, so why would he accept the deal?”
«I don’t think that the country under attack should make concessions and stop resisting – specifies Podolyak -. We have been fighting for three years and now we should give up our sovereignty? Unfortunately I don’t see the same discussion about what Russia should give or pay. It’s a bit strange, isn’t it? We bring pragmatism to the negotiating table. We have developed military skills and can offer Trump a partial replacement of American contingents in various regions, first of all in Europe. We also have deposits of rare minerals, such as lithium and titanium, that we can exploit together. The rational approach is to force Russia to accept appropriate conditions. Don’t ask or negotiate, but oblige.”
«The tools exist – continues the presidential advisor – and I am not talking about the military ones but rather the control of the price of oil. The US has the means to transform the market and make it unfavorable to Russia. They can also issue economic sanctions that actually hit Moscow. In my opinion this will be Trump’s line, he is someone who can take drastic measures. If we also inflict blows on a military level, as is happening on a smaller scale, we will influence the Russian internal front. As for Kursk, we are solving the problems positively, eliminating the positions that launched attacks on Chenihiv and Sumy. The point is another, when we began the operation in the region, we expected to be authorized to use (Western, ed.) missiles and to have more weapons of this kind.” The Ukraine situation will be a tough nut to crack for future President Trump.
#Trump #concessions #Russia #Tempo
How does Mykhailo Podolyak perceive the role of military capabilities in influencing the outcome of negotiations with Russia?
**Interview with Mykhailo Podolyak, Advisor to Ukrainian President Zelensky**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us today, Mr. Podolyak. You’ve recently made some strong statements regarding potential negotiations involving Russia and Ukraine. Can you elaborate on your thoughts about Donald Trump’s position in these discussions?
**Podolyak:** Certainly. I believe Donald Trump is a politician who has aspirations to be number one. The current conversations surrounding potential agreements involve suggestions from Vladimir Putin to grant concessions to Russia. Should Trump take a more adversarial stance against Putin, he risks being viewed as second to him, which I don’t believe he would accept.
**Editor:** You mentioned the idea of a ceasefire in exchange for Ukraine conceding territory. What is your stance on this?
**Podolyak:** There seems to be a prevalent assumption that Ukraine must concede something for peace. However, Putin’s true objectives are the destruction of Ukraine and dominance in Europe. Why would he accept any deal that does not advance those goals? The narrative that Ukraine should be the one to negotiate concessions is fundamentally flawed.
**Editor:** You touched on the resilience of Ukraine in your response. Can you explain why you believe that Ukraine should not concede to Russia?
**Podolyak:** Absolutely. It is crucial for a nation under attack to resist and not give up its sovereignty. We have been fighting for three years, and the idea of capitulating now is simply unacceptable. The discourse regarding what Russia ought to provide in such negotiations is noticeably lacking, which raises questions about the fairness of the situation.
**Editor:** You also mentioned the military capabilities of Ukraine. How can these be leveraged in potential negotiations?
**Podolyak:** We have developed significant military skills during this conflict and could even offer to partially replace American contingents in Europe. Moreover, we possess valuable resources, such as lithium and titanium, which can be beneficial in our collaboration. Our pragmatic approach is to insist that Russia accept certain conditions rather than merely requesting concessions.
**Editor:** Thank you for your insights, Mr. Podolyak. It’s clear that the situation is complicated, and we appreciate your perspective on these vital issues.
**Podolyak:** Thank you for having me. It is essential to bring clarity to these discussions for the sake of Ukraine’s sovereignty and security.
