[Source/Observer Network by Shao Yun]

More than 100 days into his presidency, U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to make significant progress on resolving the Ukraine-Russia conflict, a promise he made during his campaign. In an interview aired on NBC on May 4th, Trump was vague about the situation. While expressing hope for peace talks, he also admitted that a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine "may not be possible."

When asked if the U.S. was "closer" to its desired mediation outcome, Trump said, "I hope so." According to Trump, either Russia or Ukraine is closer to reaching an agreement, but he refused to specify which side. "We still need to see," Trump said, "...but I want to resolve this issue."

The host then asked Trump where the U.S. would draw the "red line" in continuing to mediate the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Trump consistently refused to give a direct answer. After repeated questioning, Trump vaguely said that he "might" announce at some point that he would stop participating in Ukraine-Russia peace talks, adding that "(the two sides) may not reach an agreement."

"There is great hatred between them... You must understand, we are talking about hatred between two leaders, and frankly, even between some soldiers and generals. They have been fiercely fighting for three years." However, Trump quickly changed his tone, saying, "(But) I think we still have a good chance to achieve peace."

Trump interviewed on NBC NBC program screenshot

According to statistics from CNN, Trump mentioned at least 53 times during his campaign that he would end the Ukraine-Russia conflict within "24 hours" after taking office. However, as obstacles to negotiations increased, Trump and his administration recently softened this statement. In an interview published in TIME magazine on April 25th, Trump said that his claim of ending the conflict within a day was an "exaggeration" and should not be taken literally.

Including Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio in Trump's cabinet, officials have frequently mentioned in public in recent weeks that if they do not see Ukraine and Russia making concessions on territorial issues, the U.S. will no longer invest time and resources in peace talks. Vance said last month during his visit to India: "I believe that the new border line after the final conflict will be drawn near the existing boundary line."

On April 27th local time, Rubio said that the White House still hopes to resolve the Ukrainian crisis through diplomatic means. According to his statement, the next week is "very crucial" for the White House because it will decide whether "the U.S. will continue to participate in this work." Now that this "crucial week" has passed, there is still no sign of a ceasefire in Ukraine-Russia, but the U.S. and Ukraine signed a mineral agreement on April 30th.

Some voices believe that the U.S.-Ukraine mineral agreement has more symbolic significance than practical meaning, more like an "emergency bandage," with no substantial impact on stopping battlefield bloodshed or advancing peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian analysts pointed out that previously, Ukraine hoped to obtain clear "security guarantees" from the U.S. through this agreement, while the U.S. hoped Ukraine would repay what it called a "military aid debt" of thousands of billions of dollars. These two core demands of both sides were ultimately not reflected in the agreement.

According to a May 2nd Reuters report, informed officials revealed that Trump administration officials had finalized new economic sanctions against Russia, including measures targeting the banking and energy sectors, aimed at further pressuring the Russian side to end the conflict. Reuters analysis suggested that if Trump approves these new sanctions after the U.S.-Ukraine mineral agreement, it may signal a tougher stance toward Russia.

However, Bloomberg quoted sources at the time, indicating that due to ongoing diplomatic efforts, it is unclear whether Trump will approve this sanctions plan. They refused to disclose specific options and stated that the final decision-making power was "entirely" in Trump's hands.

On April 28th, Russian President Putin stated that during the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, Russia would cease fire from midnight Moscow time on May 8th to midnight on May 11th. All military operations would be halted during this period. The statement emphasized that Russia expects Ukraine to take similar measures. If Ukraine violates the ceasefire agreement, the Russian Federation Armed Forces will respond adequately and effectively.

According to Ukraine's National News Agency on May 3rd, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy clearly stated to the media that he rejected Russia's proposal. He insisted on implementing the 30-day ceasefire plan proposed by the U.S. and using this period to discuss a peace agreement. On the same day, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov said that Russia expected Ukraine to take actions to ease tensions during the May ceasefire by the Russian army, calling it a "test" for whether Ukraine was ready for sustainable long-term peace.

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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7500852395514053183/

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