Tuesday, 18 February 2025

US-Russia talks begin in Saudi Arabia

US-Russia talks begin in Saudi Arabia

US-Russia talks begin in Saudi Arabia




Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for talks with the US delegation. ©Russian Foreign Ministry






Russian and US delegations have begun high-level talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at restoring diplomatic relations and paving the way for a settlement of the Ukraine conflict.







The meeting in Riyadh is attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, President Vladimir Putin’s top foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, and Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). The US is represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Steve Witkoff, the special envoy for the Middle East.


Neither Ukraine nor its EU backers are taking part in the talks. In the run-up to the meeting, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky signaled that Kiev was not invited and that it “considers any negotiations about Ukraine that are being held without Ukraine as having no results.”


Russian officials previously said the key goals of the talks include “restoring the entire complex of Russian-American relations,” as well as “preparing for possible negotiations on the Ukrainian settlement” and laying the groundwork for a summit between Putin and US President Donald Trump.


The high-stakes talks became possible after a phone call between Trump and Putin last week. Following the conversation, Trump said he does not think it is “practical” for Ukraine to join NATO, adding that Kiev has very little chance of regaining territory that has become part of Russia over the past decade.


Moscow has said the conflict can only be sustainably resolved if Ukraine commits to permanent neutrality, demilitarization, denazification, and recognizes the territorial reality on the ground.



Musk reacts to upcoming US-Russia talks



Billionaire Elon Musk, a major ally of US President Donald Trump, has welcomed the arrival of a Russian delegation in Saudi Arabia ahead of the first direct Russian-US negotiations over the Ukraine conflict.


The Tesla, SpaceX, and X owner reposted an excerpt from a Russian news segment about the arrival of the delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Riyadh. “This is what competent leadership looks like,” he wrote on X.


In a video shared by Musk, journalist Evgeny Popov asked Yury Ushakov, President Vladimir Putin’s top foreign policy aide, about the mood ahead of talks on Tuesday local time.


“We will see. The most important thing right now is to begin a real normalization of relations between us and Washington,” Ushakov told Popov on the tarmac.





Musk, who donated 20,000 Starlink internet terminals to Ukraine in 2022, has since advocated against further escalation between Russia and the US. “We are sleepwalking our way into World War III with one foolish decision after the other,” Musk said in 2023.


The meeting on Tuesday will be the first in-person US-Russian negotiations since Moscow launched its military operation in Ukraine in 2022.


While the administration of former US President Joe Biden pursued a policy of “isolating” Russia on the world stage, Trump has vowed to quickly mediate an end to the conflict and criticized his predecessor for abandoning diplomacy in favor unconditional military support for Kiev. President Vladimir Putin said last year that the campaign to isolate Russia “has failed,” given Moscow’s deepening ties with major economies outside of Europe and North America, including China, India, and Brazil.


US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammd bin Salman on Monday and is expected to meet with Lavrov.


Trump spoke with Putin over the phone on February 12, angering Ukraine’s EU backers, who were blindsided by the conversation.


Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has said Kiev will “not recognize” any negotiations that take place without his approval. He acknowledged, however, that Ukraine has a “low chance” of winning without American support.






















UK and EU ‘incapable of negotiation’ – Moscow

UK and EU ‘incapable of negotiation’ – Moscow

UK and EU ‘incapable of negotiation’ – Moscow




Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia. ©Brian Smith/RIA Novosti






The UK and EU cannot be part of the Ukraine peace talks, as they are incapable of negotiating, Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia has said.







The diplomat made the comments as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Yury Ushakov, President Vladimir Putin’s top foreign policy aide, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday for bilateral talks with top US diplomats, discussions to which the EU and Ukraine are not invited.


“The Minsk guarantors, and in general EU states and the UK are incapable of negotiation and cannot be a party to any future agreements on regulating the Ukrainian crisis,” Nebenzia told the UN Security Council on Monday.


Both are blinded by “a manic desire to defeat Russia on the battlefield at the hands of the surviving Ukrainians,” the diplomat said. Neither EU countries nor the UK are suitable to serve “as either guarantors or middlemen” to a potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, he added.


US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for ending the hostilities, Keith Kellogg, has also noted that European states have no place in upcoming peace talks. France and Germany served as the Western guarantors of the failed Minsk accord, a deal supposedly aimed at stopping hostilities between Ukraine and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.


Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has since admitted the ceasefire was intended to buy time for Kiev to build up strength.


While previously both the US and its allies in Europe have shown a united front in backing Ukraine in its conflict with Russia since its escalation in 2022, Washington has touted a pivot under Trump. The new US president has promised to bring a swift end to the hostilities, while simultaneously signaling that Europe should begin to shoulder more of the cost of its own security, as well as Ukraine’s.


The Russian diplomatic delegation in Riyadh is expected to prepare the ground for an upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin, following tomorrow’s initial bilateral involving senior diplomats form both sides.


Moscow is coming to the negotiations primarily to “hear out” Washington regarding the Ukraine conflict, as well as to restore communication after “an absolutely abnormal period” in Russia-US relations, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.


The top diplomat has previously stressed that Moscow will reject any attempt to temporarily freeze the Ukraine conflict, as Kiev’s Western backers would use such a measure to rearm Kiev. Any solution to the hostilities would need to have an ironclad legal basis and address the root causes of the conflict, Lavrov has said.






















Monday, 17 February 2025

Russian UAV destroys ‘drone-proof’ Ukrainian military vehicle - VIDEO

Russian UAV destroys ‘drone-proof’ Ukrainian military vehicle - VIDEO

Russian UAV destroys ‘drone-proof’ Ukrainian military vehicle - VIDEO










New first-person-view (FPV) footage shows Russian fiber optic-guided drones hunting Ukrainian vehicles protected by electronic warfare antennae near the Kursk Region border.







Russian frontline journalist Evgeny Poddubny posted the clip on his Telegram channel on Sunday; it presumably shows the work of the Russian 40th Separate Guards Marine Brigade drone pilots, of the ‘North’ group of forces.


In the first part of the video, a suicide FPV drone can be seen chasing down a Ukrainian tank and striking the top rear section of its hull, despite several anti-drone measures.


Several electronic warfare antennas can be seen poking through the top of the anti-drone slat armor welded onto the top of the tank. The drone catches up to the speeding and zigzagging tank and hits it in the roof of the hull, where armor is typically thinner than most other areas.





In the second part of the clip, another FPV drone can be seen diving down at a parked SUV, hitting it on the roof. Several sets of electronic warfare antennae can be seen sticking up from the top of the vehicle.


Fiber optic-guided drones have seen more frequent use in recent months, after first being deployed by Russian forces last summer. Footage from these drones is characterized by their slightly slower speeds and excellent picture quality, unaffected by the pervasive jamming used by both sides of the conflict.


These types of drones are entirely immune to electronic warfare, as they maintain a direct link with the pilot via a fiber optic cable, unlike their jamming-vulnerable radio-controlled counterparts. The downside of the fiber optic-controlled UAVs is that they are bulkier, having to carry a bobbin with the cable, and therefore less agile.


According to the Russian Defense Ministry, as of Sunday, Ukraine has witnessed more than 61,000 troop casualties in the Kursk Region since Kiev’s forces first began their push in August of last year. In addition, Ukraine has lost more than 365 tanks, 48 multiple launch rocket systems (including 13 HIMARS and six other US-made MLRS), six anti-aircraft units, as well as hundreds of other heavy vehicles, according to the ministry.





















Saturday, 15 February 2025

Vance accuses the Wall Street Journal of inventing ‘threats to Russia’

Vance accuses the Wall Street Journal of inventing ‘threats to Russia’

Vance accuses the Wall Street Journal of inventing ‘threats to Russia’




US vice president JD Vance
©Getty Images/Johannes Simon






US Vice President J.D. Vance has criticized the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) for what he says is a misrepresentation of remarks he made on Ukraine. Vanced refuted the paper’s report published on Thursday that he had said that the US would threaten Russia with either sanctions or military action.







In a summary to an article on Thursday titled “Vance Wields Threat of Sanctions, Military Action to Push Putin Into Ukraine Deal” the paper stated that the US vice president had pledged to impose sanctions and possibly launch military action if Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected a peace deal guaranteeing Ukraine’s independence.


The Kremlin sought clarification to Vance’s comments following the initial report. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that the remarks were new to Moscow. “These are new elements of the [US] position; we have not heard such statements before,” Peskov said.


Vance pushed back on the claim on Friday, stating that US President Donald Trump would bring peace to the region by ending the conflict, and that his words had been misinterpreted by the WSJ.


“As we’ve always said, American troops should never be put into harm’s way where it doesn’t advance American interests and security,” Vance wrote on X. “The fact that the WSJ twisted my words in the way they did for this story is absurd, but not surprising,” he added.


Vance’s communications director, William Martin, criticized the article, calling it “pure fake news,” posting a transcript of Vance’s interview with the newspaper and argued that the vice president had not made any threats.


In the transcript, Vance had said that Trump would consider a wide range of options in discussions with Russia and Ukraine. He mentioned that “economic tools of leverage” and “military tools of leverage” exist but did not specify any specific actions.


“There’s a whole host of things that we could do. But fundamentally, I think the President wants to have a productive negotiation, both with Putin and with [Vladimir] Zelensky,” the transcript said.


Martin wrote that Vance “simply stated the fact that no one is going to take options away from President Trump as these negotiations begin.”


The Wall Street Journal’s report has since received a community note on X, which states: “JD Vance made no explicit pledge to either sanctions or military actions.” The note links to Martin’s post containing the transcript.


One day after the article was posted Vance and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky met on the sidelines of the Munich security conference on Friday. Following the talks Vance emphasised that Washington’s goal is sustainable peace in Ukraine, while insisting on the start of direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.


It’s important for us to get together and start to have the conversations that are going to be necessary to bring this thing to a close,” he said.





















Fatal NATO promise, trusting Putin & killing BRICS: Key takeaways from Trump briefing

Fatal NATO promise, trusting Putin & killing BRICS: Key takeaways from Trump briefing

Fatal NATO promise, trusting Putin & killing BRICS: Key takeaways from Trump briefing




©AP/Ben






US President Donald Trump spoke to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday evening, a day after his long-awaited phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The conversation, as Trump described it, spanned topics including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, NATO’s role, economic strategies like tariffs, and the geopolitical dynamics surrounding BRICS and the G8.







Here are the key takeaways from the briefing:



1. Biden’s promise provoked Ukraine conflict



Trump placed the blame for the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict on his predecessor, Joe Biden, reiterating his claim that the war would never have erupted if he had remained in office. According to Trump, Biden’s statements about Kiev potentially joining NATO were a critical provocation that had directly contributed to the conflict.


“I don’t see any way that a country in Russia’s position could allow them, just in their position, could allow them to join NATO. I don’t see that happening,” the US president said on Thursday.


“And long before President [Vladimir] Putin, Russia was very strong on the fact. I believe that’s the reason the war started, because Biden went out and said that they could join NATO, and he shouldn’t have said that,” Trump asserted.


Trump elaborated on his belief that the promise of NATO membership created a security dilemma for Russia, which ultimately triggered the war. He described Biden’s statement as “reckless” and “ill-conceived,” underscoring that such commitments should never have been made without broader international consensus.



2. Still no NATO for Ukraine



Trump also stood by the remarks made by his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, regarding Ukraine’s hope for NATO membership, describing them as “pretty accurate” despite some public criticism. He rejected the suggestion that he should ask Hegseth to walk back his comments.


“Somebody told me to, but I thought his comments were good yesterday. They’re probably good today. They’re a little bit softer, perhaps. But I thought his comments from yesterday were pretty accurate,” Trump stated.


Hegseth had earlier argued that Ukraine’s aspiration to reclaim all lost territories was unrealistic and that the country should prepare for a negotiated peace. He suggested that international troops might oversee the process but emphasized that NATO membership would not be part of any peace agreement.



3. Russia and US to hold ‘high-level’ meeting



During the press conference, Trump revealed that officials from Russia and the United States were preparing for a high-level meeting in Munich.


“They’re having a meeting in Munich, tomorrow. Russia is going to be there with our people. Ukraine is also invited, by the way. Not sure exactly who’s going to be there from any country, but high-level people from Russia, from Ukraine, and from the United States.”


The president also reiterated his openness to a face-to-face meeting with Putin, possibly in Saudi Arabia. However, he cautioned that it was “a little early” to finalize such plans.



4. Trump ‘trusts’ Putin



Trump made it clear that he believes Putin’s desire for peace is genuine:“I believe that President Putin, when I spoke to him yesterday… I think he wants peace. I think he would tell me if he didn’t.”


Dismissing the journalists’ skepticism, Trump reiterated that he trusts Putin on this issue specifically and criticized the Biden administration for not taking earlier action to prevent the escalation of tensions into a full-blown conflict.


“I trust him on this subject. I think he’d like to see something happen,” Trump added, emphasizing that “this should have been done by Biden years ago” and that the conflict “should never have been allowed to happen” in the first place.



5. BRICS is ‘dead’



Trump’s press conference also touched on his administration’s new tariff plan, which he said would ensure fairness by imposing reciprocal levies on countries that impose high import duties on American goods. He singled out India as one of the most protectionist economies in the world, ahead of his scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He took the opportunity to criticize the BRICS bloc for trading outside the US dollar system.


“BRICS was put there for a bad purpose,” Trump warned, noting that the bloc’s ambitions threatened the dollar’s dominance.


“They’re afraid to talk about it because I told them – if they want to play games with the dollar, then they’re going to be hit with a 100% tariff… BRICS is dead since I mentioned that. BRICS died the minute I mentioned that,” Trump stated.



6. Inviting Moscow back to G8



Trump said he would “love” to see Russia reinstated into the G7, restoring the group to its former G8 configuration. He claimed that Putin would probably “love to be back” too, even though Moscow itself showed little interest in returning after the group suspended its membership in 2014.


“I think it was a mistake to throw them out. Look, it’s not a question of liking Russia or not liking Russia – it was the G8. And you know, I said, what are you doing? All you talk about is Russia, and they should be sitting at the table.”


Trump suggested that excluding Russia was a strategic misstep that might have contributed to the Ukraine conflict. “It’s very possible that if that was the G8, you wouldn’t have had the problem with Ukraine,” he added.



7. Nuclear de-escalation



Trump also expressed his vision of reducing global nuclear stockpiles through direct negotiations with Russia and China. He revealed plans to initiate talks on military spending and arms control when the geopolitical situation stabilizes.


“At some point, when things settle down, I’m going to meet with China and I’m going to meet with Russia, in particular those two, and I’m going to say there’s no reason for us to be spending almost a trillion dollars on military.”


He pointed out the absurdity of nations continually expanding their arsenals despite already having enough weapons to destroy the world multiple times over.


“There’s no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons. We already have so many you could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over,” Trump said, expressing optimism that both Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping would be open to such discussions.
















Friday, 14 February 2025

‘It is impossible to bring us to our knees’: Russia reacts to Putin-Trump phone call

‘It is impossible to bring us to our knees’: Russia reacts to Putin-Trump phone call

‘It is impossible to bring us to our knees’: Russia reacts to Putin-Trump phone call




©RT/КЕ






The phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump which took place yesterday and lasted for an hour and a half, has become this week’s – and perhaps this month’s – top story. During their conversation, the two leaders discussed the exchange of prisoners on both sides, the resolution of the Ukraine conflict, and the possibility of a face-to-face meeting. Here’s what Russian politicians and experts are saying about the conversation between the two leaders.








Third President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev:



The presidents of Russia and the US have talked at last. This is very important in and of itself. The previous US administration cut off all high-level contacts in an attempt to punish and humiliate Russia. As a result, the world was balancing on the brink of the Apocalypse. How did we get there?


It just so happened at some point that the US appointed itself the country-in-chief on our planet with the exclusive right to wage a hybrid war against our people, to mete out justice and grant pardons. It was a grave mistake, which nearly wiped humanity off the face of the earth. Nobody attempted something like that before senile Biden’s team.


It’s true that we would hold shouting matches with America and sometimes practiced brinkmanship, but nobody slapped personal sanctions on Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis or on Brezhnev during the conflict in Afghanistan or severed contacts between the heads of state. On the contrary, the leaders kept lines of communication open, which helped resolve crises.


In our small, controversial but highly interdependent world there can be no chief country or planetary ruler. This is a lesson that must be learned by the arrogant American elites and the so-called deep state (US bureaucracy). They need to understand that contacts and consultations are much more valuable than chest-thumping and the desire to see the strategic defeat of a country like Russia. That would be a very dangerous thing anyway because it is impossible to bring us to our knees. The quicker our adversaries realize this, the better.


If they don’t, we’ll get back to where we were. The Doomsday Clock will keep on ticking towards midnight, and then we will surely “behold a pale horse, and the horseman’s name will be Death...”



Vice Speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev:



My first impression is that, judging by its length, the conversation was meaningful and engaging, and laid the groundwork for further interactions which will be meaningful and important in their own way.


I believe we’re still far from any breakthroughs – too many issues have piled up, and Trump’s predecessors in the US, along with some politicians who remain in power in NATO countries, have deliberately and maliciously obstructed any progress.


Now all eyes are on how quickly a personal meeting can be arranged, which the presidents agreed upon, and how effectively it can be prepared. Let’s not forget that the negotiations are set to begin “immediately.”


In this situation, there is no room for error on both sides. I believe the two leaders will instruct their negotiating teams appropriately.


The mistakes will rest squarely on the shoulders of Ukrainian and European politicians who provoked the current conflict. They are the ones who will answer to their voters.



Former presidential candidate, journalist Ksenia Sobchak:



Trump, of course, is a totally unpredictable figure and a showman, but there are two key points:


  1. He is the president of the US.


  2. He has already taken several concrete steps toward Moscow and ending Russia’s Special Military Operation


When, under what US administration, did you last hear Putin talking about the US like that? And vice-versa?


I’m 100% sure that things won’t go entirely smoothly, that’s obvious. And there will certainly be no “territorial exchanges”; Putin will never back down, especially not in public. Refusing to submit to ultimatums is part of his image and character. We’ve seen this countless times.


Moreover, he knows what would happen to the people in the new regions, who already adapted to the change in leadership and citizenship, if the AFU were to return there.


But dialogue has begun, and I am very happy about that. May it all end as soon as possible.



Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club Andrey Bystritsky:



It’s crucial to not jump to conclusions. The gap between the current conversation and a meaningful agreement is large and complex. In this regard, nothing is more dangerous than naivety and superficial thinking, especially given the significant risks and challenges involved.


Source



Academic Supervisor of the Institute of World Military Economy and Strategy at HSE University, Dmitry Trenin:



There is hope that the dialogue initiated by both sides might help Russia achieve the goals of the military operation. However, the ultimate outcome will also depend on the situation on the battlefield. A diplomatic resolution will only satisfy Moscow if it can be perceived as [Russia’s] victory and address what the Russian leadership considers the root causes of the conflict. Let’s not deceive ourselves – the policies of Western nations have already disappointed us many times in the past.


Europe still remains within the sphere of US interests, even though Trump’s team has started shifting its focus toward China, which is quite painful for Europeans. What we see today in US-Russia relations indicates that Trump is eager to resolve a conflict that distracts him from far more pressing matters; an end of the conflict would allow him to concentrate on the Asia-Pacific region – and specifically, on China.


Source



Expert at the Valdai International Discussion Club Andrey Kortunov:



In 2018, a summit took place in Helsinki between the presidents, but it ultimately fell short of expectations: Rather than improving, US-Russia relations continued to deteriorate. The initial contact between the two leaders is necessary, but in itself, it is not enough for a productive dialogue. It seems that Moscow and Washington will send a signal to various bureaucratic structures – diplomats, military officials, intelligence agencies, and possibly even track two experts – to start addressing specific issues that could eventually shape the agenda for a top-level meeting, which will likely require several months of preparation.


The parties will need to seriously work on finding common ground, and while the Ukraine issue is the key point of concern, it is not the only one. This could also include discussions on the Iranian nuclear deal, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the situation in Northeast Asia – an area that the Pentagon has identified as a priority for the new administration.


Source



Senator Aleksey Pushkov:



The phone call between Putin and Trump on February 12, 2025 will remain in the history of global politics and diplomacy. While it may not be a breakthrough yet, it could be the first step towards one. I’m sure that officials in Kiev, Brussels, Paris, and London are reading Trump’s lengthy comments about his conversation with Putin with horror and disbelief. European capitals will hold urgent consultations on how to derail the emerging dialogue between Moscow and Washington. Such efforts will undoubtedly be made. The negotiations will be extremely challenging, and pressure will be exerted on Russia. However, a foundation has been laid.


Source



Co-founder and editor of the Vatfor project Sergey Poletayev:



Here are two separate thoughts. First: Right now, Trump is negotiating with Putin behind the back of blockhead [Keith] Kellogg, the special envoy for Ukraine. While Kellogg has been pushing deadlines on Ukraine indefinitely, his boss has done all the work for him. Now, the blockhead will be informed about decisions that pertain to him. Europe and Ukraine have already been informed. Feel free to draw your own conclusions about the defeat of the globalists surrounding Trump.


Second thought: Our next decisive offensive can be expected in Kursk Region.


Source



VGTRK bureau chief in New York Valentin Bogdanov:



Russia’s fundamental demands regarding security in Europe, NATO expansion, and Ukraine’s status remain on the agenda of the negotiations, since the winners always set the terms. To break the unprecedented four-year silence between the leaders of the two largest nuclear powers, all Trump had to do was call Putin.


Talking about details, we cannot overlook the fact that Trump was surprised by the reporters’ questions about whether he views Ukraine as an equal participant in the [negotiations] process. The mantra “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” has been thoroughly discarded.


It brings to mind the infamous “peace formulas” that were drafted with the hope they’d eventually be presented to Moscow. They won’t be. All those plans collapsed alongside the reckless dreams that Ukrainians died and continue to die for; due to the arrogance and cynicism of their curators, Ukrainians find themselves at the same spot where they were in 2022.


As for personal meetings between the two leaders, they seem likely to take place both in Russia and the US. There are plenty of appropriate occasions this year, such as the 80th anniversary of WWII Victory or the 80th anniversary of the UN. The first meeting may also take place on neutral ground; Trump even mentioned Saudi Arabia. The Global South isn’t like Europe and Ukraine, which are silently watching the collapse of all the principles that their bloody theater relied on.


source

























‘Tidak mungkin membuat kami bertekuk lutut’: Rusia bereaksi terhadap kontak telepon Putin-Trump

‘Tidak mungkin membuat kami bertekuk lutut’: Rusia bereaksi terhadap kontak telepon Putin-Trump

‘Tidak mungkin membuat kami bertekuk lutut’: Rusia bereaksi terhadap kontak telepon Putin-Trump




©RT/КЕ






Kontak telepon antara Presiden Rusia Vladimir Putin dan Presiden AS Donald Trump yang berlangsung kemarin dan berlangsung selama satu setengah jam, telah menjadi berita utama minggu ini – dan mungkin bulan ini. Selama percakapan mereka, kedua pemimpin membahas pertukaran tahanan di kedua belah pihak, penyelesaian konflik Ukraina, dan kemungkinan pertemuan tatap muka. Berikut ini adalah pernyataan politisi dan pakar Rusia tentang percakapan antara kedua pemimpin tersebut.








Presiden Ketiga Rusia Dmitry Medvedev:



Presiden Rusia dan AS akhirnya berbicara. Ini sangat penting. Pemerintahan AS sebelumnya memutuskan semua kontak tingkat tinggi dalam upaya untuk menghukum dan mempermalukan Rusia. Akibatnya, dunia berada di ambang Kiamat. Bagaimana kita bisa sampai di sana?


Kebetulan pada suatu saat AS mengangkat dirinya sendiri sebagai kepala negara di planet kita dengan hak eksklusif untuk melancarkan perang hibrida terhadap rakyat kita, untuk memberikan keadilan dan memberikan pengampunan. Itu adalah kesalahan fatal, yang hampir memusnahkan umat manusia dari muka bumi. Tidak ada yang mencoba melakukan hal seperti itu sebelum tim Biden yang pikun.


Memang benar bahwa kita akan berdebat dengan Amerika dan terkadang melakukan taktik nekat, tetapi tidak ada yang memberikan sanksi pribadi kepada Khrushchev selama Krisis Rudal Kuba atau kepada Brezhnev selama konflik di Afghanistan atau memutuskan kontak antara kepala negara. Sebaliknya, para pemimpin menjaga jalur komunikasi tetap terbuka, yang membantu menyelesaikan krisis.


Di dunia kita yang kecil, kontroversial, tetapi sangat saling bergantung, tidak ada negara pemimpin atau penguasa planet. Ini adalah pelajaran yang harus dipelajari oleh para elit Amerika yang arogan dan apa yang disebut negara dalam (birokrasi AS). Mereka perlu memahami bahwa kontak dan konsultasi jauh lebih berharga daripada membual dan keinginan untuk melihat kekalahan strategis negara seperti Rusia. Itu akan menjadi hal yang sangat berbahaya karena mustahil untuk membuat kita bertekuk lutut. Semakin cepat musuh kita menyadari hal ini, semakin baik.


Jika mereka tidak melakukannya, kita akan kembali ke tempat kita sebelumnya. Jam Kiamat akan terus berdetak menuju tengah malam, dan kemudian kita pasti akan "melihat seekor kuda hijau kuning, dan nama penunggangnya adalah Maut..."



Wakil Ketua Dewan Federasi Konstantin Kosachev:



Kesan pertama saya adalah, dilihat dari panjangnya, percakapan itu bermakna dan menarik, dan meletakkan dasar bagi interaksi lebih lanjut yang akan bermakna dan penting dengan caranya sendiri.


Saya yakin kita masih jauh dari terobosan apa pun – terlalu banyak masalah yang menumpuk, dan para pendahulu Trump di AS, bersama dengan beberapa politisi yang masih berkuasa di negara-negara NATO, telah dengan sengaja dan jahat menghalangi kemajuan apa pun.


Sekarang semua mata tertuju pada seberapa cepat pertemuan pribadi dapat diatur, yang disetujui oleh para presiden, dan seberapa efektif pertemuan itu dapat dipersiapkan. Jangan lupa bahwa negosiasi akan segera dimulai.


Dalam situasi ini, tidak ada ruang untuk kesalahan di kedua belah pihak. Saya yakin kedua pemimpin akan menginstruksikan tim negosiasi mereka dengan tepat.


Kesalahan akan sepenuhnya berada di pundak politisi Ukraina dan Eropa yang memprovokasi konflik saat ini. Mereka adalah orang-orang yang akan menjawab kepada para pemilih mereka.



Mantan calon presiden, jurnalis Ksenia Sobchak:



Trump, tentu saja, adalah sosok yang sama sekali tidak terduga dan seorang tukang pamer, tetapi ada dua poin penting: 


  1. Dia adalah presiden AS.


  2. Dia telah beberapa langkah konkret menuju Moskow dan mengakhiri Operasi Militer Khusus Rusia.


Kapan, di bawah pemerintahan AS yang mana, Anda terakhir kali mendengar Putin berbicara tentang AS seperti itu? Dan sebaliknya? 


Saya 100% yakin bahwa segala sesuatunya tidak akan berjalan mulus, itu jelas. Dan tentu saja tidak akan ada "pertukaran teritorial"; Putin tidak akan pernah mundur, terutama di depan umum. Menolak untuk tunduk pada ultimatum adalah bagian dari citra dan karakternya. Kita telah melihat ini berkali-kali. 


Selain itu, dia tahu apa yang akan terjadi pada orang-orang di wilayah baru, yang telah beradaptasi dengan perubahan kepemimpinan dan kewarganegaraan, jika AFU kembali ke sana. 


Namun dialog telah dimulai, dan saya sangat gembira karenanya. Semoga semuanya berakhir secepatnya.



Ketua Dewan Yayasan Pengembangan dan Dukungan Klub Diskusi Valdai Andrey Bystritsky:



Sangat penting untuk tidak terburu-buru mengambil kesimpulan. Kesenjangan antara pembicaraan saat ini dan kesepakatan yang bermakna sangat besar dan rumit. Dalam hal ini, tidak ada yang lebih berbahaya daripada kenaifan dan pemikiran yang dangkal, terutama mengingat risiko dan tantangan signifikan yang terlibat.


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Pembimbing Akademik Institut Ekonomi dan Strategi Militer Dunia di Universitas HSE, Dmitry Trenin:



Ada harapan bahwa dialog yang diprakarsai oleh kedua belah pihak dapat membantu Rusia mencapai tujuan operasi militer. Namun, hasil akhirnya juga akan bergantung pada situasi di medan perang. Resolusi diplomatik hanya akan memuaskan Moskow jika dapat dianggap sebagai kemenangan [Rusia] dan mengatasi apa yang dianggap oleh pimpinan Rusia sebagai akar penyebab konflik. Jangan menipu diri sendiri – kebijakan negara-negara Barat telah mengecewakan kita berkali-kali di masa lalu.


Eropa masih tetap berada dalam lingkup kepentingan AS, meskipun tim Trump telah mulai mengalihkan fokusnya ke Tiongkok, yang cukup menyakitkan bagi orang Eropa. Apa yang kita lihat hari ini dalam hubungan AS-Rusia menunjukkan bahwa Trump sangat ingin menyelesaikan konflik yang mengalihkan perhatiannya dari masalah yang jauh lebih mendesak; berakhirnya konflik akan memungkinkannya untuk berkonsentrasi pada kawasan Asia-Pasifik – dan khususnya, pada Tiongkok.


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Pakar di Klub Diskusi Internasional Valdai Andrey Kortunov:



Pada tahun 2018, sebuah pertemuan puncak diadakan di Helsinki antara kedua presiden, tetapi pada akhirnya tidak memenuhi harapan: Alih-alih membaik, hubungan AS-Rusia terus memburuk. Kontak awal antara kedua pemimpin itu perlu, tetapi itu sendiri tidak cukup untuk dialog yang produktif. Tampaknya Moskow dan Washington akan mengirimkan sinyal ke berbagai struktur birokrasi – diplomat, pejabat militer, badan intelijen, dan bahkan mungkin melacak dua pakar – untuk mulai membahas masalah-masalah spesifik yang pada akhirnya dapat membentuk agenda untuk pertemuan tingkat atas, yang kemungkinan akan memerlukan persiapan selama beberapa bulan.


Para pihak perlu bekerja serius untuk menemukan titik temu, dan meskipun masalah Ukraina adalah titik perhatian utama, itu bukanlah satu-satunya. Hal ini juga dapat mencakup diskusi tentang kesepakatan nuklir Iran, konflik Israel-Palestina, dan situasi di Asia Timur Laut – suatu area yang telah diidentifikasi Pentagon sebagai prioritas bagi pemerintahan baru.


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Senator Aleksey Pushkov:



Panggilan telepon antara Putin dan Trump pada 12 Februari 2025 akan tetap tercatat dalam sejarah politik dan diplomasi global. Meskipun mungkin belum menjadi terobosan, itu bisa menjadi langkah pertama menuju terobosan. Saya yakin bahwa para pejabat di Kiev, Brussels, Paris, dan London membaca komentar panjang Trump tentang percakapannya dengan Putin dengan ngeri dan tak percaya. Ibu kota Eropa akan mengadakan konsultasi mendesak tentang cara menggagalkan dialog yang muncul antara Moskow dan Washington. Upaya semacam itu tidak diragukan lagi akan dilakukan. Negosiasi akan sangat menantang, dan tekanan akan diberikan pada Rusia. Namun, sebuah fondasi telah diletakkan.


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Salah satu pendiri dan editor proyek Vatfor Sergey Poletayev:



Berikut adalah dua pemikiran terpisah. Pertama: Saat ini, Trump sedang bernegosiasi dengan Putin di belakang [Keith] Kellogg yang bodoh, utusan khusus untuk Ukraina. Sementara Kellogg telah mendorong tenggat waktu di Ukraina tanpa batas waktu, bosnya telah melakukan semua pekerjaan untuknya. Sekarang, si tolol itu akan diberi tahu tentang keputusan yang berkaitan dengannya. Eropa dan Ukraina telah diberi tahu. Jangan ragu untuk menarik kesimpulan Anda sendiri tentang kekalahan kaum globalis yang mengelilingi Trump.


Pikirkan lagi: Serangan menentukan kita berikutnya dapat diharapkan di Wilayah Kursk.


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Kepala biro VGTRK di New York Valentin Bogdanov:



Tuntutan mendasar Rusia mengenai keamanan di Eropa, perluasan NATO, dan status Ukraina tetap ada dalam agenda negosiasi, karena pemenang selalu menetapkan persyaratan. Untuk memecah keheningan empat tahun yang belum pernah terjadi sebelumnya antara para pemimpin dua kekuatan nuklir terbesar itu, yang harus dilakukan Trump hanyalah menelepon Putin.


Berbicara tentang perincian, kita tidak dapat mengabaikan fakta bahwa Trump terkejut dengan pertanyaan wartawan tentang apakah ia memandang Ukraina sebagai peserta yang setara dalam proses [negosiasi]. Mantra "tidak ada tentang Ukraina tanpa Ukraina" telah sepenuhnya dibuang.


Hal ini mengingatkan kita pada "rumus perdamaian" yang terkenal yang dirancang dengan harapan pada akhirnya akan disampaikan ke Moskow. Namun, kenyataannya tidak. Semua rencana itu runtuh bersamaan dengan mimpi-mimpi sembrono yang membuat orang Ukraina mati dan terus berjuang untuk itu; karena kesombongan dan sinisme kurator mereka, orang Ukraina mendapati diri mereka berada di tempat yang sama seperti pada tahun 2022.


Mengenai pertemuan pribadi antara kedua pemimpin, tampaknya pertemuan itu akan berlangsung di Rusia dan AS. Ada banyak kesempatan yang tepat tahun ini, seperti peringatan 80 tahun Kemenangan Perang Dunia II atau peringatan 80 tahun PBB. Pertemuan pertama mungkin juga berlangsung di tempat yang netral; Trump bahkan menyebut Arab Saudi. Negara-negara di belahan bumi selatan tidak seperti Eropa dan Ukraina, yang diam-diam menyaksikan runtuhnya semua prinsip yang menjadi dasar sandiwara berdarah mereka.


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