The New York Times reports that U.S. President Donald Trump and his team will try to force Ukraine into a peace agreement on Russia's terms, according to infohub.kz.
According to the publication, Trump's desire to strike deals with Russia is fueling his dissatisfaction with Ukraine. "A series of recent steps by the president that appear to play into Vladimir Putin's hands reflect his increasingly explicit desire to normalize relations with Moscow — even if it further weakens Ukraine's position. He set aside a bipartisan bill that would have imposed new tariffs on Russia. He struck a deal to purchase diesel fuel from Moscow. His negotiators agreed on the broad outlines of a deal to acquire a significant portion of the assets of Lukoil" — a Russian energy company going through hard times. In addition, he called for the replacement of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, whose successes in moving hostilities onto Russian territory deeply irritate Trump," the article says.
According to the publication, Donald Trump's efforts to rehabilitate Russia and bring Vladimir Putin back into the diplomatic community are notable for their swiftness. As the publication notes, Donald Trump is "determined to force Vladimir Zelensky into a deal." "He makes clear that attempts to hold on to occupied territories in the country's eastern regions make no sense, and that dropping objections to an agreement — even if it is drawn up largely on Russia's terms — could bring Ukraine financial benefits," the article says.
It notes who exactly will deliver this message to Vladimir Zelensky in Oslo on Tuesday on behalf of the American side: the Ukrainian president is expected to meet there with Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff. According to the Norwegian government, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will also take part in the talks — he will join the meeting remotely.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb will also take part in the discussion, according to a statement. (Finland became an active NATO member. During World War II, it ceded about 12% of its territory to Russia, which it was never able to regain.)
The next day, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin's hometown, to meet with him. There, Trump's representatives are expected to take another step demonstrating the benefits of deals with Putin: they will try to secure the release of an American citizen who has been imprisoned for a long time.