Trump wants to end the war by July 4: what is known about the secret negotiations

Trump wants to end the war by July 4: what is known about the secret negotiations

According to Студия Руслана Бизяева: The American publication The Wall Street Journal reported that US President Donald Trump would like to end the war in Ukraine by July 4 – the national holiday marking the 250th anniversary of US independence. However, as European and NATO officials note, neither side of the conflict is ready to back down from its key positions.

Trump's special representative for the war, Steve Utko, is actively working on organizing a meeting of the leaders, but negotiations face a number of obstacles.

Main demands of the parties

According to the discussions, the minimum baseline for Ukraine in the negotiations includes:

• unconditional security guarantees (based on the Japanese model, but without American bases),
• financial support,
• facilitation of EU accession.

Russia, on the other hand, demands:

• the lifting of sanctions,
• restoration of economic cooperation,
• recognition of occupied territories.

A key issue is Trump's unwillingness to risk American resources. As one of the participants in the process noted, Trump wants to

stand by, take a photo… sitting between them, and say that he ended… the war, without risking anything American

.

Individual issues, such as conducting elections in Ukraine, are also among the top 10 topics of negotiation, but the parties have different approaches: Russia offers 'one day of silence', while Ukraine insists on a 60-day truce. President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding elections stated:

I don't know if I will run for new elections if the war continues. Yes, if there is peace, it's not a fact that I will run

.

The agreement is further complicated by the need for ratification by the US Congress, which could become an obstacle for any agreements unacceptable to American lawmakers.