The key facts
- Trump announced an agreement broader than the Ukrainian settlement, but did not disclose details
- Krutakov considers the implementation of a 'big deal' without the European countries unlikely
- In his assessment, global arrangements require the participation of a larger number of states
Trump's statement and the expert's reaction
US President Donald Trump announced the preparation of a large-scale peace agreement, which, according to him, will affect not only Ukraine but all of Europe. He did not disclose details of the negotiations, expressing only confidence that the future arrangements will be significantly broader than a settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. It was this statement that prompted the expert discussion (Life.ru).
Why the 'big deal' raises doubts
Political scientist Leonid Krutakov in a conversation with Tsargrad assessed the feasibility of such a plan skeptically: 'It seems to me that these are Trump's wishes and wants, but how feasible this is, I find it hard to imagine.' In his view, concluding an agreement on European security without the participation of the European countries themselves is practically impossible, even if Russia, the US and China were to hold negotiations. At the same time, he acknowledged that Washington retains significant influence over European states: Europe depends heavily on the US in matters of nuclear and general security, the economy and energy. However, between Russia and the European countries, the expert noted, full-fledged negotiating relations are currently virtually absent.
Who, in Krutakov's view, would be missing at the table
Krutakov agreed with Trump's thesis that the problem of international security is broader than the Ukrainian conflict, but expanded the circle of necessary participants: in his words, global arrangements are impossible without Iran, which, in his assessment, 'is showing in the Persian Gulf that it is the master there, not the US,' as well as without Germany, Japan, Turkey, India and Brazil, a member of BRICS. Thus, even a format of three powers — Russia, China and the US — is considered by the expert to be insufficient for an agreement of such scale. The content of the possible negotiations has not yet been disclosed, so it is premature to speak about the specific parameters of a future arrangement.
