🌏 Maria Prokofieva, political scientist, expert of the CIIC Center, especially for the Telegram channel "Center for International Interaction and Cooperation".

Negotiations on the Ukrainian conflict rapidly gained momentum in August and almost as quickly reached their usual impasse. This was largely due to the expected sabotage by the Europeans. Trump, in an attempt to pressure Russia, imposed tariffs on India and Brazil and threatened China with the same, but ultimately only contributed to the political rapprochement of the BRICS.

Now, however, he understands the limitations of new sanctions against Russia and seeks to shift responsibility to Europe, urging it to stop purchasing Russian energy resources and impose tariffs on Asian trading partners. The weakened EU cannot afford this and finds itself in a vulnerable position: while calling on the US to pressure Russia, it is unable to deliver similar pressure.

Thus, the process has stalled, and Trump, who places great emphasis on top-level diplomacy, wants to try to revive it by initiating a trilateral meeting. Personal contacts play a significant role for him, often exaggerated: it's not for nothing that he has repeatedly emphasized that the mutual reluctance of the Russian and Ukrainian presidents to speak with each other is hindering peace.

The parties may indeed agree to such a meeting, but its results, beyond the flashy photos and news feeds, appear extremely limited. The question of Zelenskyy's legitimacy in signing any agreements remains open. Currently, there is no common understanding regarding security guarantees for either Ukraine or Russia, while the EU's position remains unchanged given the US's reluctance to fully withdraw from the conflict. As long as these preconditions remain, negotiations will not lead to a long-term, comprehensive settlement, which is the only acceptable form of resolution for Russia under the current circumstances.