Rosenberg: US diplomatic push offers little hope for Ukraine peace
Two days of diplomacy in Oslo and St Petersburg have failed to secure a trilateral summit between the leaders of the US, Russia, and Ukraine.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- US envoy Steve Witkoff visited Oslo and St Petersburg to push for peace talks.
- Putin rejected sharing a table with Zelensky unless the meeting is held in Moscow.
- Russia suggested technical-level trilateral talks could resume next month in Abu Dhabi.
- A potential meeting between Putin, Trump, and Xi Jinping may happen on the sidelines of Apec in China.
After two days of intensive diplomacy across Norway's capital and Russia's St Petersburg, the central question remains whether the war in Ukraine is any closer to coming to an end.
Discussions in Oslo introduced the concept of a trilateral meeting at the leaders' level, with hopes that Steve Witkoff's mission to Russia would clear the path for President Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Donald Trump to meet and halt the fighting.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
However, Putin has shown little inclination to sit down with Zelensky unless the meeting takes place in Moscow. Meanwhile, the Kremlin announced it might be open to resuming trilateral talks next month in Abu Dhabi, though strictly at the technical level.
Yuri Ushakov, foreign policy aide to Vladimir Putin who participated in the St Petersburg discussions, noted that Witkoff briefed Putin on the Oslo talks and what he perceived as new approaches from European nations and Kyiv. The Kremlin adviser appeared unimpressed by the propositions.
"Right now Trump is the only leader in the Western world who is doing something for peace,"
Evgeny PopovThe diplomatic shift led by Donald Trump's administration has altered the geopolitical dynamics of the conflict. By temporarily pausing certain sanctions against Moscow and agreeing to purchase Russian diesel, Washington has noticeably eased the economic and political pressure on the Kremlin, aligning with Putin's current calculus that he faces no urgent domestic pressure to conclude the war.
Russian MP and television anchor Evgeny Popov remarked that Trump stands as the sole Western leader actively pursuing peace. Over recent days, Trump has paused select sanctions against Moscow, agreed to purchase Russian diesel, and issued sharp criticisms of President Zelensky, moves that serve the Kremlin's strategic interests.
While an immediate trilateral summit involving Putin, Zelensky, and Trump appears unlikely, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Xi Jinping may hold discussions next month on the fringes of the Apec summit in China. Observers in Russia have already begun referring to the prospect as The New Yalta.
Source: BBC World
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