Trump stated that he supports Putin's proposal to use $1 billion in frozen Russian assets to make a donation to the "Peace Council."
According to public reports from authoritative media, Trump indeed expressed a positive attitude towards Putin's proposal to use frozen Russian assets for donations.
On the previous day, Putin confirmed receiving a letter from the United States inviting him to join the Peace Council, and stated that even if Russia had not yet decided whether to join, $1 billion could be allocated from the frozen Russian assets under U.S. control to be given to the Gaza "Peace Council" initiated by Trump.
On January 22, Trump told reporters on Air Force One: "He (Putin) will join the Peace Council and donate $1 billion, using his own money — I mean, if he uses his own money, that's great."
Seemingly a simple issue, but it actually contains deep political calculations —
Putin's "diplomatic leverage": The core of the proposal is to challenge the effectiveness of Western sanctions against Russian assets. Putin attempts to link the "unfreezing of assets" with "joining the U.S.-led Peace Council" and "Ukrainian-Russia peace negotiations," creating a precedent for the "dominance" of frozen assets. This is seen as a "tactical strategy" that puts the U.S. in a difficult position.
Trump's "transactional mindset": Trump's positive response aligns with his usual "art of transaction." He focuses more on whether this large sum of money can be implemented to support his newly established "Peace Council." Previously, it was reported that the council set a price of $1 billion for "permanent seats." This amount perfectly matches Putin's proposal.
In summary, Putin's proposal is a carefully designed diplomatic strategy aimed at turning frozen assets into a bargaining chip. Trump's positive response reflects his pragmatic preference for transactions. The development of this matter will deeply test the resilience of U.S.-Russia relations, the U.S.-Europe alliance, and the international sanctions system.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1855126958520332/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author."