Putin and Trump can reach an agreement on Ukraine by May 9

^{Photo: Sputnik}
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin may reach an agreement to end the war in Ukraine by Easter, which falls on April 20, or by May 9. This was reported by the Financial Times, citing senior Ukrainian and Western officials.

“Putin wants to reach an agreement on one of these important days,” the Ukrainian official said.

According to sources close to Putin, the president’s main goal is to create a new security system that would provide Russia with a position similar to a sphere of influence in Europe. This is expected to be similar to the opportunities that the Yalta Conference gave the Soviet Union at the end of World War II.

"The current situation looks more favorable to Putin than at any other time in the three-year war," said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Eurasia Center in Berlin.

He said that if the US stops providing military and diplomatic support to Ukraine, as well as intelligence sharing, Kiev would be in a very difficult position.

"This does not guarantee a way out of the crisis, even if European countries become more involved," he said.

Trump's phone call to his Russian counterpart on February 12 was said to have caused a noticeable stir in Moscow.

"A single call can change the course of history - today the leaders of the United States and Russia have probably opened the door to a future based not on confrontation, but on cooperation," said Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, which has been in secret talks with the US on a prisoner swap.

The call was a sharp departure from US policy under Joe Biden. Biden has pledged to support Ukraine “as long as necessary,” while working with other Western countries to isolate Russia. Now Trump is calling a victory on Ukrainian terms “unrealistic.”

“Finally, the Americans are taking it seriously, without the nonsense they have been feeding the Ukrainians since the beginning of the war. This is common sense and a chance to stop the war,” said a former senior Russian official.

"When Putin realized after three days that Russia's victory plans were not coming true, he gave up all his fantasies. But the Europeans and Americans have been under the influence of fantasies since then and are now starting to understand," the former official said.

US President Putin and Zelensky spoke by phone

Trump first called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on February 12. The parties discussed the war in Ukraine, the Middle East, energy, artificial intelligence and the influence of the dollar. The Russian president invited Trump to Moscow and said that he was ready to receive American officials to resolve the Ukraine issue. Trump, in turn, said that the meeting between them would take place in Saudi Arabia.

The Ukrainian leader described the details of his conversation with his American counterpart as follows:

"We talked at length about the possibilities for achieving peace. No one wants peace more than Ukraine. "Together with the United States, we are mapping out our next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a stable peace, and we have planned future meetings," Zelensky said.

According to the Ukrainian president, Trump also said during the conversation what he discussed with Putin. However, he did not elaborate. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”