Alwaght- Ukraine and Saudi Arabia are thousands of kilometers apart and are almost have no similarities culturally and geographically, but these days the Ukraine fate is being discussed in the Arab kingdom. The negotiations about end of Ukraine war at the initiative of the US President Donald Trump are being followed in Riyadh, but they do not seem to have yielded a result so far. This is while Trump had vowed during his election campaigns he will end the war within 24 hours once he became president.
Trump's sarcasm with the world
When in May 2023, the US President Donald Trump was campaigning in Las Vegas, he claimed in one of the city's large halls that "Russians and Ukrainians are dying, I want them to stop dying and I will do it. I will stop the war in 24 hours." He also claimed that "this is a war that is coming to an end and I will resolve this issue before I even become president. If I win the election, when I am president-elect, what I will do is I will talk to both sides and I will immediately end the war."
Now that nearly two months have passed since Trump took office in the White House, he has told an American media outlet that he was “ a bit sarcastic” when he repeatedly spoke during his presidential campaign about ending the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, even before taking office. In the interview, which was released on Sunday, Trump said: "Well, I was being a little bit sarcastic when I said that."
Cost of sarcasm for Trump
Not ending the war within 24 hours is not the first sarcasm of the US President with the world. Since coming to power, he has repeatedly made big warnings and claims, many of which have not been implemented. For example, just two weeks ago he warned Hamas that if they do not release all Israeli prisoners within 24 hours, he will open gates of hell to Gaza. Those 24 hours have passed, and in practice, not all Israeli prisoners have been released and no new military campaign was launched against Gaza. Trump has given the same harsh warnings to Canada and Greenland, calling for the seizure of these two territories by the US, but he has not yet taken any practical action.
It seems that Ukraine war not ending despite Trump's promise is another sign of invalidity of his warnings and promises, and the warring sides no longer take the American Trump seriously.
Shadow of uncertainty on Riyadh talks
Despite recent talks in Saudi Arabia with the presence of American and Ukrainian officials for a ceasefire, it appears that stopping the war in Ukraine still faces many challenges:
US and Ukraine-favored ceasefire: Delegations from Washington and Kiev met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday March 11 to discuss the terms of peace in Ukraine. After the meeting, the two countries issued a joint statement proposing an immediate and temporary 30-day ceasefire. The statement called for “the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees” during the ceasefire period, as well as “the return of Ukrainian children who have been forcibly transferred [to Russia].”
Russian preconditions: Although the Russian president did not immediately respond to the ceasefire proposal, two days later, he set out conditions for accepting the ceasefire. Vladimir Putin’s conditions revolved around three main issues: Resolution of Ukraine’s attack on Russia’s Kursk and occupation of part of it, the non-mobilization of troops and the receipt of weapons by Ukraine during the ceasefire period, determination of the official guarantor of the ceasefire and setting a mechanism for monitoring the ceasefire. The Russian leader stated that he wants these three issues to be resolved before any ceasefire can be agreed.
Ukraine reaction: In first reaction to Putin reconditions, Ukraine President Volodymer Zelensky described them as a sign of Russia not being serious about ceasefire. The Ukraine foreign minister described surrender to Putin's demands as a "treason."
Prospects of peace
The reactions of Ukrainian officials come as Kiev has no much hope in a ceasefire given the Russian preconditions. However, some analysts have suggested that the US president may once again put his Ukrainian counterpart under pressure to yield to the Russian demands. If this happens, Ukraine may have no other choices. Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow of Chatham House's Russia and Europe Program, referred to the Russian demands, saying that if we consider the record of relations between the American and Russian presidents, the Russian demands will be supported by the US. Political commentator Marina Miron said she believes that the Trump administration has probably made it clear to Ukraine that after the failure of the White House Oval Office negotiations, Ukraine cannot dictate the rules and Ukraine will have no choice but to accept the demands of the US and Russia.
