Trump's Envoy Meets Putin, Putin's Game of Gaining Time Again

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio announced on Wednesday that U.S. envoy Vitkov met with Russian President Putin on Wednesday. Afterward, Rubio had a conversation with U.S. envoy Vitkov. When asked about the possibility of imposing sanctions on Russia, the U.S. Secretary of State said, "We will issue more statements on this later today."

On Wednesday, the Kremlin stated: The meeting between U.S. President Trump's envoy Vitkov and Russian President Putin in Moscow on Wednesday was "beneficial and constructive."

The Kremlin's foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov said before Trump made his comments that the U.S. president's envoy and the Russian president exchanged "signals" on the Ukraine issue and discussed the possibility of developing strategic cooperation between Moscow and Washington.

It is well known that this meeting took place just two days before the deadline for the United States to end the Ukraine conflict. Last week, Trump demanded Russia to stop its offensive against Ukraine by Friday, or face new sanctions. He specifically threatened to impose "secondary tariffs" on countries such as China and India that continue to trade with Moscow.

According to reports from the American website Axios and the Ukrainian national media Suspilne, after the meeting between the U.S. envoy and Putin, U.S. President Trump had a phone call with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy wrote on social media: "Our common position with our partners is very clear: the war must end. And it must end fairly. European leaders also participated in the dialogue, and I thank each of them for their support. We discussed the views expressed in Moscow. Ukraine will certainly defend its independence. We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war it started. Thank you to everyone who supports Ukraine."

U.S. President Trump posted a message on his "Truth Social Network" saying that his envoy Vitkov's meeting with Putin on Wednesday was "very productive" and achieved "significant progress." Trump also said, "Subsequently, I informed some of our European allies. Everyone agreed that the war must end, and we will work on this over the next few days and weeks. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

However, a senior U.S. official clarified that the U.S. still plans to implement secondary sanctions on Friday, which target countries that obtain supplies (especially oil and weapons) from Russia. Last week, Trump demanded Russia to stop its offensive against Ukraine by Friday, August 8, or face new sanctions.

On August 6, the U.S. President had already signed an executive order stating that due to India's direct or indirect import of Russian oil, additional tariffs of 25% would be imposed on Indian goods; adding to the previously announced 25%, Indian goods exported to the U.S. will face a total tariff of up to 50%. However, the increased tariff rate will take effect on the 27th.

A commentary article from the French newspaper "Echo de France" stated: The Kremlin does not want to show any signs of anxiety or concessions. As early as Tuesday, the Orthodox daily newspaper "Moscow Komsomolskaya Pravda" published an article with a provocative title: "Vitkov's visit will not change anything." The usual pattern of the Kremlin during meetings with the U.S. president's envoy has not changed much. Therefore, Vitkov was once again warmly received. He was welcomed by Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian sovereign wealth fund, who almost blinded him. He is an expert on U.S. issues, studied at Stanford University and Harvard University, and then worked at the prestigious Goldman Sachs and McKinsey companies. Subsequently, this U.S. envoy shook hands with Putin, who smiled and greeted him in English in the opulent hall of the Russian presidential palace.

The Kremlin's coordinator did make comments after the meeting, but revealed almost nothing: Yuri Ushakov stated in a speech of less than two minutes that the so-called "Ukraine crisis" was not the only topic discussed and mentioned the "possibility of developing strategic cooperation between the U.S. and Russia."

After the meeting, Vitkov, the envoy of Trump, did not make any comments and returned directly to the United States. However, that night, Trump assured on his "Truth Social Network" that the meeting was "very productive" and achieved "significant progress." According to a report by The New York Times, the U.S. president seems to want to speed up the process and plans to have a face-to-face meeting with Putin, possibly as early as next week.

Later, Levitt, the spokesperson for Trump, announced on Wednesday evening that Trump "is willing to meet with President Putin and President Zelenskyy," and added that "the Russian side (has already) expressed the desire to meet with the U.S. president."

The article from the French newspaper "Echo de France" asks and answers itself: What progress did Vitkov convey to Trump? To ensure that the U.S. president's envoy would not return empty-handed, several Russian media outlets recently hinted that if Kyiv approved the proposal, the Kremlin was prepared to stop using missiles and drones for deep air strikes. This "proposal" obviously is not without reason, because it is also beneficial for Moscow, as Kyiv would no longer be able to attack Russian oil refineries and fuel depots.

The French newspaper "Echo de France" says: All of this seems familiar: last spring, when the White House owner roared demands for an immediate full ceasefire, Russia's conditions were simply to stop attacks on energy infrastructure and to cease fire in the Black Sea. Overall, Putin's actions are mainly aimed at gaining more time and avoiding angering the U.S.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839754868683788/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.