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War
Day 1529. Zelensky thinks about how Ukraine can conduct peace negotiations without US help
Since February 24, 2022, Meduza has been broadcasting live about the Russian-Ukrainian war. We publish your letters every day because we are sure that we need to continue talking about the war. Share with us your thoughts about the war. What feelings are you experiencing? How does war affect your life and your attitude towards the world? If you have a story related to the war, tell it . The feedback form is at the end of this article. You can read the previous day's review here .
World
US President Donald Trump has largely distracted himself from the big war between Russia and Ukraine, focusing on the conflict in the Middle East. As Politico writes, after two months of war with Iran, Ukraine and the issue of European security have faded into the background for the White House.
After Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 29, a senior White House official said he couldn't remember the last time he heard anyone talk about the Russian-Ukrainian war. The focus is definitely on Iran, he said.
The two top U.S. negotiators involved in the dialogue with Russia and Ukraine, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, “work primarily on Iran,” the official told Politoco. At the same time, the negotiators continue to maintain some contacts with their Russian and Ukrainian colleagues. Witkoff and Kushner are in no hurry to come to Kiev, writes the Ukrainian publication Kyiv Independent, because they fear that the resumption of negotiations will not yield results.
“The situation appears to have stalled and needs a new impetus,” an unnamed European official told Politico. The publication’s second source in Europe said that the consequences of the war in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz “have an extremely negative impact on Ukraine and Europe.” “If anything, it has strengthened Europe’s resolve to support Ukraine,” the source said.
At the same time, Politico’s third interlocutor fears that Ukraine may be left without further supplies of American weapons, “taking into account the needs of the United States.” Financial Times sources also say this: according to them, the Pentagon warned European allies that it would significantly delay the supply of several missile systems, including HIMARS and NASAMS, which Ukraine is using in a major war with Russia.
According to Politico, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has given up trying to persuade the United States to stay involved and is instead developing a strategy for how to proceed without them. Zelensky, as the publication writes, has become more cautious in his statements regarding the further participation of the United States and is now counting on Turkey as a platform for the next round of negotiations with Russia.
US presidential administration spokeswoman Olivia Wales told reporters that Donald Trump and his team are “working toward an agreement to ensure Iran can never acquire nuclear weapons, and continue to make progress toward ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.” “The President remains optimistic that there will eventually be a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia that will put an end to the senseless killings,” she added.
Some European officials told Politico that Donald Trump should be the catalyst when it comes to ending Russia's war with Ukraine. One source said U.S. involvement was necessary because "they have leverage."
“It would be great if American negotiators visited Kyiv. At a minimum, the United States should continue to support Ukraine militarily and intelligence-wise. But I think the Europeans could take on a larger role and bring new dynamics to the negotiations, provided that the Americans continue to support Ukraine and help guarantee everything they agreed on. “At the end of the day, Trump wants this war to end,” the European official added.
Ukraine
Vladimir Zelensky said that on May 1 Ukraine recorded “rather specific activity” on the part of Belarus at several sections of the Ukrainian-Belarusian border. Zelensky did not specify what kind of activity he was talking about.
“We carefully record everything, control everything and, if necessary, we will react. Ukraine is ready to defend its people, its sovereignty, and everyone should understand this, who is trying to be drawn into any aggressive activity against Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
Two weeks ago, on April 17, the President of Ukraine announced that military activity had increased in Belarus: according to intelligence data, they began to equip artillery positions in the border areas of Belarus and build roads in the direction of Ukraine.
“We believe that Russia may again try to drag Belarus into its war,” Zelensky said then. The President of Ukraine called on Alexander Lukashenko not to make the “mistakes” of Nicolas Maduro .
War in photographs. Kharkov region
War through the eyes of Meduza readers
How we choose letters
Meduza's readers live in different countries and have different attitudes towards the war. We publish your letters to see this event through your eyes. Our editors try to present all points of view, even if they do not coincide with the editorial position. However, in accordance with the Meduza code, we do not publish messages that contain “hate speech,” justify the murder of civilians, or express direct support for an aggressive war.
Anonymous reader (Russia) . I grew up listening to the songs “Do the Russians Want War”, “Buchenwald Alarm”, “Enemies Burned My Own Hut”. I saw the inscription “PEACE TO THE WORLD” on every house. In the army we were brought up like this: “We stand guard over peace.” But apparently I was born and lived alone in the Soviet Union. Everyone around me greeted the news with great enthusiasm and even joy that our neighbors, relatives, brothers and sisters, parents are our enemies. At the very beginning of the war, I tried to talk with colleagues and friends, but in front of me there was a wall of propaganda so thick that I could not even see a crack. Now I try not to talk about the war; when I am asked to help the war, I simply walk away without words. In the Soviet Union I lived without fear. Today I'm afraid.