WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
Although the US president has repeatedly complained about Putin’s “foolishness” and ambiguity, the administration believes Putin has given signals that this time is different.
White House officials are tempering expectations ahead of Friday’s summit between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, presenting it as a step toward a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine and avoiding promises of a ceasefire or any grand deal.
The goal, one White House official said, is for Trump to simply assess Putin, determine whether the Russian leader is serious and work toward a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“This is all about trusting Trump’s instinct,” said the White House official, who, like others in this report, spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the administration’s position.
Although the president has repeatedly complained about Putin’s “nonsense” and ambiguity, the administration believes Putin has given signals that this time is different.
Putin “offered a plan,” the official said. “Maybe the plan is not workable, but there was something on paper, which shows progress.”
Special envoy Steve Witkoff returned from Russia last week and told Trump that Putin wanted to meet. Trump sees it as progress, “so he’ll go listen to him,” the official said.
The White House has not revealed exactly what Putin wants, but Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte have said that a territory-for-peace swap — an idea that Zelensky immediately rejected — is on the table.
Trump’s willingness to meet without preconditions underscores his desire to end the war and his confidence in his own ability to gauge Putin’s intentions.
“After they talk, Trump will be able to gauge how serious Putin is about peace,” another White House official said. This meeting is “the beginning of a new phase.”
Trump said yesterday that he could know within two minutes of meeting Putin whether progress was possible.
“I could say, ‘Good luck, keep fighting,’ or I could say we can make a deal,” the president said.
A person close to the White House noted that Zelensky, in part because of corruption charges, is politically weak, giving Putin a convenient opportunity to take advantage.
“Everything is pointing to the president having to make a decision about what Putin’s intentions are,” the person said.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is convening a virtual summit tomorrow, where Trump, Zelensky and European leaders could discuss a potential deal with Putin.
The virtual summit will focus on options for pressure on Russia, issues over Ukrainian territories Russia has seized, security guarantees for Kiev and the sequencing of possible peace talks.
