Vladimir Putin is keen to thrash out a peace deal with Donald Trump that would end the war in Ukraine on incredibly favourable terms for Russia without having to give many concessions
Russian president Vladimir Putin has set the country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) against Western leaders, bent on torpedoing talks with the US.
TASS, the country’s news agency, said Putin asked the FSB to use “all means” to stop attempts of Western political leaders to disrupt US-Russian dialogue amid his positive relationship with US President Donald Trump. Speaking at the FSB board in Moscow, Putin claimed some leaders did not welcome any dialogue between Russia and the US.
He added any attempts to disrupt it needed to be stopped by “all means.” Putin said first discussions with the Trump administration “inspire certain hopes” and said there was a “reciprocal mood.”
The Russian despot added Russia was ready to re-establish cooperation. At the same meeting, Putin announced he wanted to step up border security in order to keep the country’s citizens safe.
His announcement comes after Donald Trump stunned western leaders by announcing he would pursue a peace deal with Russia while shutting out Ukraine. He added Russia would not need to give up any of the territory it is currently occupying in Ukraine and also appeared to refuse to offer security guarantees to Kyiv.
In another move that concerned Washington’s allies, Mr Trump appeared to directly blame Ukraine for the war and branded the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator.” Mr Zelensky is set to meet Mr Trump in Washington DC on Friday where he is expected to push for security guarantees from the US should the peace deal with Russia become a reality.
Mr Trump had vowed to end the war between Ukraine and Russia in a single day, although he did not share how he intended to do so while on the campaign trail. His detractors argue his peace deal would make Europe less safe.
European leaders, including likely incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, argue the continent needs to become increasingly independent of the US. Those who praise the US President argue the war in Ukraine has led to the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives and that the conflict should be ended now before Russia can further expand.
