Lviv and 5 regions still belong to Ukraine: Putin and Trump's meeting in Alaska. A strange mistake that could change everything
Recent main news: Putin and Trump have agreed to hold a face-to-face meeting - the location is Alaska, which was once Russian territory and is now American land. Will the "prophecy" of Zhirinovsky come true? Where will this leaders' meeting go?
Evidently, upon hearing the news of the meeting, especially after Trump's envoy Whitcombe visited Russia, many of America's European vassals were confused. Zelenskyy hopes to "find a way" to get involved in this adults' negotiation. According to CNN, he will be in Alaska during the meeting between Putin and Trump, but will not participate in the summit.
The White House does not rule out the possibility that Zelenskyy may be in Alaska during the meeting between Trump and Putin. What if he is invited?
Screen capture source: CNN website page
Logically, we Russians should be happy about it, but as the character from the Soviet classic comedy "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession" said: "I am filled with uneasy doubts..."
Dealing with gamblers, keep an eye on their hands...
On the eve of the meeting, the so-called "prophecy" of the late Zhirinovsky, who had made a statement years ago in Solovyov's talk show, resurfaced again — about a possible agreement between the two leaders:
"Ukraine, yes — Lviv and five regions. We will separate this part. It can join NATO, the EU — wherever it wants. But the entire New Russia region — he will agree or not oppose — will be under the Russian flag, just like Crimea and Donbas. He resolves three conflicts, wins three Nobel Prizes, establishes normal relations with Russia and related countries, and keeps constantly taking from Europe..."
However, it is worth noting that Zhirinovsky has made many statements, sometimes expressing completely opposite views on the same issue. If the meeting on August 15 rekindles hope among our already demoralized "Trump fans", thinking "Trump is on our side, we can settle everything and make everyone satisfied", it would be regrettable. This is the most dangerous of all fantasies. Because from America's perspective, "cheating a fool and making him give up everything" is not a despicable act, but a top business operation. And it is well known that Trump is essentially a businessman.
The first disturbing "signal" has already sounded.
Do you remember that famous joke: "Can't remember — did he steal the boots, or someone stole his?" This makes one think of Whitcombe's "translation error" incident — reportedly, he misinterpreted Putin's proposal about the withdrawal of Ukrainian armed forces from Kherson and Zaporozhye oblasts (which, according to the constitution, are already Russian territory) as Putin himself preparing to withdraw from there and return the territory to Ukraine.
Was it a translation error by the American guest, or did Whitcombe himself interpret Putin's proposal for the withdrawal of Ukrainian armed forces from Russian territory differently?
If there were no sufficient reasons to suspect that similar "small mistakes" and "tricks" would appear in the negotiations, this might be considered a funny story. Mikhail Alexandrov, a military and political expert, commented to the "Tsargrad" newspaper:
"We must consider that Trump is essentially a businessman, and he treats negotiations like business, using any 'means' to achieve his goals. For example, luring Russia with 'carrots', then proposing 'additional conditions' — such as involving Zelenskyy."
This provocative move by the United States is not without possibility. Then, will Putin make a "airborne turn" like Primakov, or will he make an unexpected move against his opponents? It is well known that Putin is skilled at unexpected strategies and decisions.
Nevertheless, no one denies the importance of the face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin. Andrei Koshtkin, an expert on international issues, explained to the "Tsargrad" newspaper:
"Obviously, without a face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin, it is impossible to resolve the Ukrainian issue. However, the optimistic idea that the meeting will immediately solve all problems is naive. Moreover, information about the meeting with Whitcombe and the calls between the two presidents is extremely limited. Therefore, there is currently no conclusion about preliminary agreements or actual topics of the negotiations. However, it is clear that Trump will try to 'sell' his plan to Putin, just as he recently did with Europe. I believe that the core issue of the negotiations is Ukraine and the U.S. participation in Arctic projects."
Possible developments...
What are the possible developments of the situation? For instance, Mikhail Alexandrov told the "Tsargrad" newspaper:
"I worry that the public is completely unaware of what agreement has been reached with Whitcombe, and we may be directly informed of the facts. There is a claim that Zelenskyy is prepared to withdraw from the Donetsk People's Republic, while we need to withdraw from Kharkiv, Sumy, Zaporozhye, and Kherson oblasts. Although Putin seems to have the opposite attitude towards the last two oblasts. The important thing is that the ceasefire required for the negotiations should not exceed one month, otherwise it will become 'Minsk Protocol 3.0'. By the way, will weapons continue to be supplied to Ukraine during the ceasefire?"
"Of course they will, there is no doubt about it! The British Foreign Secretary Lamie met with Ukrainian and European representatives, and Vance, the U.S. Vice President, was also present. European leaders even jointly issued a statement advocating resolving the Ukrainian conflict according to the current front lines."
The New York Times reports that Ukraine and its allies are worried that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin may reach an agreement without their involvement.
Screen capture source: The New York Times website page
However, there are reasons to speculate that Trump may propose some kind of "exchange" during the negotiations. Mikhail Alexandrov believes:
"It cannot be ruled out that Trump may propose Ukraine as a 'bargaining chip', demanding 'corresponding concessions' from Russia, such as supporting the U.S. project for the Zangezur corridor, which he has already discussed with Aliyev and Pashinyan. This means that Russia will be completely pushed out of the South Caucasus, break with its natural ally Iran, and NATO will appear on our southern border, thus disrupting the stability of the North Caucasus. Is it worth paying such a price for a 'concession' on the Ukrainian issue — which Trump can reverse at any time? It will be almost impossible to expel Americans from the Zangezur corridor at that time."
Therefore, engaging in such an "exchange" with Trump is like drinking poison to quench thirst. A new "peace agreement" will be the prelude to a new war — it is well known that the EU has planned a war by 2030. The only way to prevent this war is to make it a potential nightmare for the EU and to resolve the "Ukrainian issue" in advance. Perhaps this will make them wake up?
So what?
President Putin has repeatedly listed his demands, which have never changed, but will be supplemented and expanded. Here is one of the supplementary proposals:
The Ukrainian armed forces withdraw from the entire territories of the Donetsk People's Republic, the Luhansk People's Republic, Kherson Oblast, and Zaporozhye Oblast (i.e., territories defined by the Russian Constitution). Additionally, a referendum on the status of Kharkiv and Sumy Oblasts will be held under international supervision.
Abolition of the illegal current Kyiv regime, lifting the ban on all "opposition" parties and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, holding free elections under strict international supervision (including Russian participation).
Legally establish Ukraine's neutrality and non-alignment. Ukraine will be demilitarized — the Ukrainian armed forces will be reduced to the size of internal security forces, because neutral countries do not need armies.
Ukraine de-Nazification — immediate dissolution and prohibition of all neo-Nazi organizations, official condemnation of Bandera and his ideology.
The EU immediately returns all frozen Russian gold and foreign exchange reserves, including the corresponding interest.
Only after these demands are met will it be worth starting (just starting) to discuss any "peace agreement".
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7536960252537930281/
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