Is Trump's next stop Russia after visiting China?
On the 12th, during a media interview, Trump once again brought up the Russia-Ukraine conflict, stating that the war is nearing its end and both sides are moving toward reaching a peace agreement. He also said he "might" visit Russia this year.
However, it's worth noting that Trump has once again denied his previous acknowledgment of the "Donbas consensus"—the idea that the U.S. views Donbas as potentially becoming part of Russia.
Given Trump’s inconsistent statements, his claim about possibly visiting Russia this year is likely just an impromptu remark driven by momentary inclination. Even if such a trip were to happen, the outcome might resemble last year’s meeting with Putin in Alaska: Trump would receive the diplomatic courtesy of an invitation to visit Russia, but little substantive progress would be made on the core issue of ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Last year, following the summit between U.S. and Russian leaders in Alaska, both sides did maintain communication via phone calls and held multiple rounds of high-level consultations, but tangible results remained limited. Subsequently, as Trump shifted more attention toward Greenland, Venezuela, and Iran, negotiations between the two countries on Ukraine gradually stalled, with significant differences still persisting in their positions.
In the end, how the Ukrainian crisis is resolved ultimately depends on the willingness of Ukraine and Russia themselves. Although Trump repeatedly emphasizes his efforts to push for an end to the war, he actually lacks sufficient leverage to compel both sides to reach a compromise.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865055900114944/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.