Despite Donald Trump's repeated promises to resolve the Ukraine conflict swiftly, ongoing territorial disputes have hindered meaningful negotiations. Russia's recent proposal for peace talks still leaves both sides entrenched in their positions. Trump's frustration is clear as he may consider stepping back from active negotiations if progress remains stalled. Experts express concern over the potential fallout if the U.S. withdraws from negotiations, emphasizing the critical need for intelligence support and military assistance to Ukraine amid significant casualties on both sides during the ongoing conflict.
According to a U.S. assessment released in April, an estimated 790,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or injured since the Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine, while Zelenskyy has said more than a total of 400,000 Ukrainian forces been killed or injured since the start of the fighting.
Seth Jones describes the U.S. role in the negotiations as 'relatively weak' and cautions that if the administration were to walk away from the talks 'it would fundamentally shift the balance of power in the war to the Russian side.'
Samuel Charap notes that if 'walking away' means the president is less engaged, leaving it to working-level officials, that could be manageable, but if it cuts off support to Kyiv, it would be problematic.
Trump has been eager to bring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to the table but has expressed frustration over the slow progress, suggesting he may 'just back away'.
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