Trump Warns He Will Pull Out of Mediation if No Progress in Ukraine Peace Talks

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U.S. President Donald Trump [EPA]

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, ‘On the 19th (local time), after a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he expects progress in the Ukraine war peace negotiations, but will retract if negotiations do not seem likely.’,
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, ‘Given the lack of concrete progress or breakthroughs, such as an agreement on an “immediate, unconditional ceasefire” or the holding of a Russia-Ukraine summit, it is interpreted that both sides were pressured repeatedly.’,
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, ‘In a meeting with reporters that afternoon, President Trump said, “I expect progress, but if there is none, I will just back away.” He further added, “This was originally a European issue. It should have remained a European issue,” and “But the previous (Joe Biden) administration insisted strongly that the U.S. needed to get involved, so we’ve become much more deeply involved in financial terms and in what we’ve provided than Europe.”’,
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, ‘Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for high-level negotiations, but ended without any outcomes and have yet to schedule further meetings. Trump remarked, “I think something will happen, but there are big egos involved,” urging Putin, “We need to start (the negotiations).”’,
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Russian President Vladimir Putin [AFP]

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, ‘President Putin, after the phone call with President Trump, announced that he would propose a memorandum to Ukraine including the issue of a ceasefire.’,
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, ‘According to TASS and RIA Novosti, President Putin evaluated the over two-hour conversation with President Trump as “very useful, very candid, and overall very beneficial,” during a meeting with reporters immediately after the call.’,
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, ‘President Putin said he agreed with President Trump to propose a memorandum outlining the framework of a peace agreement to Ukraine. He explained, “Russia is ready to propose a memorandum to the Ukrainian side regarding a possible future peace agreement and to cooperate,” stating that the memorandum could include various stances, such as the possibility of a temporary ceasefire if relevant agreements are reached, crisis resolution principles, and a timetable for a peace agreement.’,
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, ‘However, after the call, Putin stated, “We are on the right path, and we can cease fire if an adequate agreement is reached,” while maintaining the existing position that “the important thing is to remove the root causes of the crisis.” He reiterated the position of demanding Ukraine’s renunciation of NATO membership, demilitarization, and the incorporation of Crimea and Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia.’,
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, ‘President Trump announced on his social media (SNS) that “peace negotiations will begin immediately,” but further discussions are needed for detailed arrangements to resume conversations, indicating that talks have stalled for a significant period.’,
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, ‘When asked if he requested to meet with Putin over the Ukraine issue, Trump said, “I asked him, ‘When will you end the bloody massacre (war), Vladimir?’ and I believe both Putin and I want to end this war.” He also mentioned that he had conversations with the leaders of Germany, Finland, Italy, and today with the UK.’,
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, ‘Trump emphasized, “We have given Ukraine really a massive amount. We have never given so much to any foreign country. It’s record-breaking, whether it’s weapons or funds,” adding, “Although Europe has supported a lot, it’s only about a third of what we have provided.”’,
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, ‘He also mentioned having a call with European Union (EU) Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, stating, “I told Ursula, ‘You need to do something,’ and reiterated that if she feels she cannot end this, he will back away.” Trump further added, “We have not sent, and will not send, ground troops, but we have large stakes in this. The amount we’ve invested is really absurd. Including the amount of weaponry, this is unprecedented.”’,
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, ‘Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky officially proposed a multilateral high-level meeting involving major European countries immediately after the Russia-U.S. leaders’ call. President Zelensky urged for continuous international involvement, stating the situation where the U.S. steps back from negotiations could be advantageous for Putin.’,
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, ‘U.S. political media outlet Politico analyzed, “President Trump stepping back from the peace mediation efforts he put forth since taking office has significant implications for Ukraine’s future and European security.” It added, “Ukraine has long utilized U.S. support as a bargaining leverage in negotiations, which included sanctions pressure, serving as a crucial tool in negotiations with Russia.” Journalist Jeong Mok-hee noted that the discussion between U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 19th (local time) marked their third call since the start of Trump’s 2nd term. No concrete progress or breakthroughs, such as an expected ‘immediate, unconditional ceasefire’ agreement or the organization of a Russia-Ukraine summit, were achieved during this call. [EPA·AFP]’,
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