US President Donald Trump is eager to end the war that Russia has waged against Ukraine and is actively working on this issue. This was stated in Brussels by US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker during his speech on October 10.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Opportunities for Conflict Resolution
Whitaker noted that following the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, there is a real prospect for resolving the Ukrainian-Russian war. He emphasized that European countries must play an important role in stopping the funding of the Russian budget, primarily by reducing energy imports from Russia.
“We have too many NATO allies still buying, in particular, Russian natural gas. And then, obviously, those who have been publicly mentioned are still buying quite a bit of Russian oil. We need to put an end to this,” Whitaker stressed.
The diplomat emphasized that Trump will continue to create the necessary conditions and leverage for Russia to agree to negotiations for a peaceful settlement. According to Whitaker, the American president still has many tools of influence at his disposal that can be used to reach an agreement.
Potential Leverage Against Russia
When asked about specific “cards” that Trump could play in the process of resolving the war, the diplomat mentioned the possibility of imposing additional sanctions, limiting the Russian budget’s revenues from oil and gas sales, and expanding the supply of modern weapon systems to NATO member countries and Ukraine. Whitaker noted that the possibilities for influencing Russia are nearly inexhaustible, and if peace is not achieved, the consequences for the aggressor country could only worsen.
He also emphasized the need for closer cooperation with European partners to increase pressure on Russia and encourage it to negotiate.
In September, Donald Trump once again called for a personal meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to seek ways to end the war. In the same month, a meeting took place between Zelensky and Trump in the US, during which the parties discussed ideas for achieving peace in Ukraine.