Putin wants to meet Trump, but does Trump want to meet Putin?

A gathering betwixt Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump is "necessary successful galore ways" but has not been scheduled yet, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said connected Monday.

"Such a gathering is intelligibly connected nan radar," he added.

“It must beryllium prepared appropriately, and this requires efforts astatine a assortment of master levels," Peskov said.

But what does "efforts" encompass? First and foremost, nan Kremlin’s committedness to a ceasefire successful its warfare against Ukraine, says Kurt Volker, erstwhile US typical typical for Ukraine negotiations nether Trump.

In an question and reply pinch Euronews from nan Kyiv Security Forum, Volker said nan US president would want to meet his Russian counterpart, but only aft a ceasefire successful Ukraine was successful place.

"(Trump) wants to extremity nan war, and past he would for illustration to rebuild a narration pinch Russia. He thinks that you could reintegrate Russia into a world economy, you could do business deals pinch Russia, but Putin has to extremity nan warfare first," Volker explained.

"And arsenic Putin is not doing that, nan prospects for a Trump-Putin gathering are looking further and further away.”

Volker served arsenic Washington's Ukraine negotiator betwixt 2017 and 2019, erstwhile Putin and Trump had their past meetings successful Helsinki and past astatine nan G20 gathering successful Osaka.

'Putin is trying to play to nan ego of President Trump'

Volker says that nan Russian president is "trying to play to nan ego of President Trump by saying, ok, we tin beryllium down man to man, we tin activity this out."

At nan commencement of his 2nd term, Trump said he would meet Putin "very quickly" aft taking office.

“I deliberation President Trump successful immoderate ways sees himself arsenic a beardown fig capable to do that. But he is not happy pinch Putin failing to extremity nan war. And I that is wherever this thought of a gathering simply not going to hap unless nan circumstances change”, Volker said.

Volker told Euronews location has result been a important alteration of bosom successful Washington regarding Putin’s willingness to halt his warfare against Ukraine. “It is clear that nan US and Ukraine are successful alignment successful calling for a afloat ceasefire for 30 days. And that's a stepping-tone to a imperishable ceasefire. And Putin is mocking that.”

“He's not superior astir really stopping nan fighting. And you do prime up nan consciousness now successful Washington that group are recognising that and calling Putin out, if you will, saying that Russia is demanding excessively overmuch and they are not accepting a ceasefire,” Volker pointed out.

Instead, nan Russian president announced a three-day "unilateral ceasefire" to protect and unafraid nan Victory Day parade successful Moscow connected Friday.

“Putin is not superior astir a ceasefire. He's not superior astir stopping his attacks. I deliberation he wants to make a governmental motion here, particularly arsenic it aligns pinch his subject parade successful Moscow”, Volker said, adding that he would beryllium "surprised if he respects moreover his ain ceasefire."

What will Washington do now?

The US Vice President JD Vance admitted this week that nan talks to put an extremity to Russia’s warfare against Ukraine are obscurity adjacent Washington’s first expectations.

“Right now, nan Russians are asking for a definite group of requirements, a definite group of concessions successful bid to extremity nan conflict. We deliberation they’re asking for excessively much,” Vance said.

The US management now tin "toughen its rhetoric astir Russia's aggression and their unwillingness to person a ceasefire," Volker told Euronews.

This would be nan first measurement followed by "a renewed accent connected sanctions against Russia," perchance including secondary sanctions "against those who are helping Russia to evade nan original sanctions connected lipid and state and nan financial industry,"

And astir importantly, Washington will proceed to proviso arms to Ukraine. “It won't beryllium payer money. That era of appropriations of conscionable giving payer money to money Ukraine, I think, is over. But I could spot loans for Ukraine, a lend-lease argumentation arsenic we did for nan UK successful World War II," he added.

While he didn't norm retired seizing stiff Russian assets and utilizing that to salary for arms to Ukraine, "Canada is moving successful that direction, and I would not beryllium amazed if nan US does arsenic well," Ambassador Volker concluded.