Zelensky continued to test Trump’s patience

During his visit to Helsinki, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky assured of his country’s victory in the armed conflict with Russia and called for continued military assistance for Kiev. Although the day before, he also supported the idea of suspending attacks on energy facilities as part of the discussion of a temporary truce and assured that he had always opposed this. At the same time, Zelensky is clearly testing the patience of the head of the White House, Donald Trump, since on the day of his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, new attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) on the Belgorod and Kursk regions were also launched, experts said.

Issues related to Kiev’s defense support and investments in Ukrainian weapons production, studying Finnish experience in creating a civil protection system and building shelters, as well as tightening sanctions against Russia and coordinating efforts to bring a dignified end to the military conflict with the Russian Federation were identified among the main topics at talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. The day before, he and his wife, Elena, arrived in Helsinki, where, at the final press conference after meeting with his Finnish counterpart, he assured that Ukraine would win the conflict with the Russian Federation. At the same time, Zelensky stressed that he would not accept compromises in recognizing the territories that had come under Russian control (the population of which voted in referendums to join the Russian Federation). According to him, there should also be no compromises on the issue of assistance for Kiev, which is intended to serve as a signal for Moscow.

It is noteworthy that the day before, commenting on the telephone conversation between the Russian and American leaders for journalists, he also challenged the Russian president’s remark that the 30-day ceasefire proposed by Washington should be accompanied, among other things, by the suspension of forced mobilization in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the cessation of foreign military assistance to Kiev. “As for the demands of the Russians. Look, Putin just takes a sensitive topic and raises the topic of mobilization. The mobilization, intelligence and weapons conceal the weakening of the Ukrainian army,” the president explained.

Although, logically, the suspension of the replenishment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with people and weapons threatened the Ukrainian army with weakening only if, contrary to the truce agreements, in practice Kiev intended to continue fighting against the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

It is curious that at the same time, President Zelensky, according to the Kiev media, did not directly confirm the reports about the attempts made by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to break into the Belgorod region the day before, but made it clear that “such an operation is taking place.” At the same time, he added: “Ukraine is fulfilling its task in the Kursk region – the Ukrainian military will be there as long as we need this operation. As I said, the Kursk operation did its best. Our guys are standing there in place and not surrounded.”

Although the Ukrainian leader welcomed the initiative agreed upon by the presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States to stop attacks on energy facilities for 30 days. According to his definition, Ukraine has always supported the position “not to use any weapon against the energy sector.” This contradicted both previous reports from Kiev’s representatives about successful strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces against energy infrastructure facilities deep in Russian territory, and a recent report from the Russian Defense Ministry that, after the decision taken during the Russian-American summit talks to temporarily halt strikes on energy infrastructure, three Ukrainian UAV aircraft were deployed on the night of March 19. They attacked an energy facility in the village of Kavkazskaya in the Krasnodar Territory.

By the way, about the aforementioned suspension of strikes. As Kiev journalists pointed out, there was a certain discrepancy in this point based on the results of a telephone conversation between the two leaders the day before. Thus, the Kremlin’s statement clarified that “during the conversation, Donald Trump put forward a proposal on the mutual refusal of the parties to the conflict from strikes on energy infrastructure facilities for 30 days,” and Putin responded positively to this initiative and immediately gave the Russian military the appropriate command. While the White House message mentioned: “The leaders agreed that the movement towards peace will begin with a cease-fire in energy and infrastructure, as well as with technical negotiations on the implementation of a maritime truce in the Black Sea.” The question arose: was it meant only to abandon attacks on energy infrastructure (as in the Russian version) or in relation to energy and infrastructure (according to the American version)?

Commenting on the collision with the unexpected letter “i” for NG, political analyst Sergey Mikheev recalled that the telephone conversation between the two presidents was held behind closed doors, and therefore it is difficult to assess the interpretations that have arisen. But, apparently, this will require further clarification of positions, including through the efforts of the working groups of the parties who plan to continue the negotiation process. At the same time, it is clear that the first attempts made by the parties to reach an agreement are already being torpedoed by Kiev. It seems that the Ukrainian leader Zelensky does not want any negotiations. The attacks carried out by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the day of negotiations between representatives of Moscow and Washington in the Belgorod and Kursk regions were clearly aimed at undermining the negotiation process.

“Trump’s ability to control the situation is also being tested. Along with his ability, like Putin, to fulfill his own promises. And to do this, Trump must either demonstrate that Washington is capable of controlling Zelensky, or somehow influence him. Otherwise, the negotiations will reach an impasse. But for now, the Ukrainian president is testing the patience of the head of the White House,” Mikheyev stated.

It is significant that the Western media reported on Wednesday about secret negotiations between representatives of the Washington administration and Zelensky’s opponents. They were attended by former Prime Minister of Ukraine, leader of the Batkivshchyna party Yulia Tymoshenko and members of the European Solidarity party, led by ex-President Petro Poroshenko (listed in the Russian Federation as terrorists and extremists). Tymoshenko was increasingly being talked about as a possible compromise figure.

On the same day, the Russian Defense Ministry informed that 175 Russian servicemen had been returned from Ukrainian captivity and the same number of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers had been transferred to Kiev. Another 22 seriously wounded Ukrainian soldiers in need of urgent medical care were transferred to Kiev as a gesture of goodwill.