Russia has responded to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims that he could swiftly end the conflict in Ukraine, advising that such statements should be viewed with realism. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova highlighted that Trump’s previous promise to achieve peace in the Middle East during his presidency did not materialize.
Zakharova noted the statements made by Trump, who is contesting President Joe Biden in the upcoming U.S. election, and his running mate J.D. Vance. “Trump said he would resolve the conflict within 24 hours, and Vance mentioned that China is a bigger problem for the United States than the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” she told reporters.
Emphasizing the need to differentiate between pre-election rhetoric and official government statements, Zakharova said, “If we talk about whether it’s possible to resolve the conflict, let’s be realistic.”
She recalled that during Trump’s presidency, there were ambitious efforts towards resolving the Middle East conflict, referred to as the “deal of the century,” which ultimately did not succeed. She contrasted this with President Biden’s tenure, which saw significant conflict, notably the Gaza war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed varied opinions on the U.S. election, indicating in February that Biden was a preferable option due to his predictability as an “old school” politician. However, in June, Putin stated that the election outcome would not significantly affect Russia, though he acknowledged the political use of the U.S. court system against Trump.
While Putin has taken Trump’s comments on ending the Ukraine war seriously, he mentioned that he lacks details on Trump’s proposal. The Kremlin has also noted Biden’s verbal slip-ups, including a mistaken introduction of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin,” and has criticized Biden’s harsh remarks about Putin.
Regarding Zelenskyy’s recent statement about planning a second international peace summit in November, Zakharova mentioned that Russia should be involved, contrary to the previous summit in Switzerland from which Russia was excluded. Putin reiterated Russia’s willingness to end the conflict, contingent on Ukraine surrendering four regions claimed by Moscow, a condition Ukraine has rejected.
