Ukraine Warupdated 32m ago3 min read
Archive photo · 6 October 2017Trump Meets Putin Envoy Kirill Dmitriev, Expects Russia-Ukraine Deal Covering All of Europe
“As a principle, the EU is sticking to abandoning fossil-fuel dependency on Russia,”
“fears that he’s pivoting further towards Moscow”
Photo: Shealah Craighead / White House, Public domain · Cropped for layout
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Trump forecasts a very large Russia-Ukraine deal potentially covering all of Europe. Involves more than Ukraine, extending to the whole of Europe.
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White House talks
US President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev at the White House after First Lady Melania Trump hosted officials from Russia and Ukraine, and Trump said he expects a deal that would cover “all of Europe.”
“I can’t tell you what we discussed. But I can tell you that there will be an agreement, and it will be a very big one.”
Trump told reporters, “I can’t tell you what we discussed. But I can tell you that there will be an agreement,” and he added that it would be “a very big one.”
Trump also confirmed that he did not meet the Ukrainian officials who were present at the White House on Thursday, while Melania Trump urged a permanent ceasefire in Ukraine during a White House press conference attended by representatives of the Russian and Ukrainian sides.
The US president’s remarks came as the White House said Melania Trump helped bring Russian and Ukrainian representatives together and facilitated arrangements aimed at reuniting children with their families, including a localised ceasefire arrangement in Oleshky.
EU diplomats said there is no plan to resume buying Russian gas, and one diplomat said, “We don’t see any rationale at the moment to ease sanctions or restrictions on Russia”.
Melania’s role
Melania Trump hosted officials from the two warring countries at the White House, and Trump predicted an imminent deal with Russia covering Ukraine and “all of Europe” after his involvement in the event.
Trump told reporters, “Yeah, I did. I can't tell you what I discussed, but I'm just telling you, there's going to be an agreement,” and he said it would “involve more than Ukraine” and “might involve all of Europe.”
Melania Trump’s humanitarian efforts included sending letters to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the White House said her work contributed to a localised ceasefire arrangement in Oleshky aimed at enabling humanitarian assistance and the evacuation of civilians.
The Tribune said the temporary truce reportedly allowed nearly 800 people to be evacuated from the area, while Trump said both countries were suffering significant losses every month and stated, “They're losing between the two of them, they're losing 25,000 people to death, 25,000 people a month.”
EUobserver reported that EU, US, and Ukrainian officials held a third meeting in Brussels on Wednesday (4 November) and Thursday, following talks in Miami on 9 October and in Oslo on 20 October.
Next talks and pressure
Diario Las Américas said Trump’s remarks came ahead of a new round of talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine planned for November 10 and 11 in Abu Dhabi, with the United States mediating a new round of technical talks between Ukraine and Russia. US special envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington hopes to build on progress made in meetings held in Kyiv, Oslo and Saint Petersburg to reach a “comprehensive and lasting peace agreement” that “guarantees security for future generations.” Reuters said Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that the war was very close to being settled and that bringing it to an end might involve all of Europe, while Melania Trump said Ukraine and Russia must “find common ground.”
EUobserver reported that the talks in Brussels involve national security advisers from France, Germany, the UK (the ‘E3’ group), and the US, as well as senior officials from the European Commission, Nato, and the World Bank. EU diplomats told EUobserver that there is no plan to resume buying Russian gas and that “more pressure and restrictions are needed,” framing the negotiations against continued sanctions and restrictions on Russia.