Relations with Moscow—and the future of Ukraine—will be at the forefront as Trump prepares to return to the White House. “I believe that’s their bottom line—everything else can be negotiated or smoothed out,” he stated.
“Putin recently expressed his readiness to revisit the Istanbul treaty,” Boyle mentioned, referring to a Russia-Ukraine cease-fire agreement that was nearly finalized in March 2022.
Despite Trump’s promise to end the conflict upon assuming office, some experts view it as overly optimistic.
“It’s unrealistic to expect negotiations, at least in the initial months of the Trump administration,” said Stanislav Aleksandrovich Pritchin, a Russian political analyst.
Pritchin, who heads the Central Asia desk at Russia’s Institute of World Economy and International Relations, added, “I don’t foresee any progress, at least in the short term.”
Although Putin has expressed a willingness to negotiate, Pritchin noted that there are uncertainties surrounding the possibility of talks, especially with Zelenskyy’s team.
Speaking to journalists on Nov. 8, Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, echoed these sentiments, stating, “This issue cannot be resolved so rapidly.”
Nonetheless, Peskov praised Trump for “seeking peace instead of conflict,” which he claimed the outgoing U.S. administration had been unwilling to do.
Boyle was more straightforward, labeling the current Washington administration as mostly “Russophobic warmongers.”
“I believe the Russians are relieved that the Democrats are no longer in power in the White House and Senate, and perhaps the House,” he remarked.
Boyle referenced Article 33 of the U.N. Charter, which he said mandates negotiation as a legal obligation.
While the Biden administration has been openly critical of Putin, Trump maintained a positive relationship with the Russian leader during his first term in office.
Pritchin acknowledged the existence of “good personal relations between the two leaders.”
“However, we didn’t see any improvement in U.S.-Russia relations because the U.S. political system—and Trump’s [first] administration—was filled with radical politicians who held tough stances against Russia,” he explained.
Pritchin drew a distinction between Trump’s approach to Moscow and that of the U.S. political and administrative system, particularly the defense and security establishment. The latter, he said, continues to oppose any relations or negotiations with Russia.
Boyle emphasized the importance of a good rapport between heads of state in diplomacy, stating that it “facilitates negotiations, even when they disagree on each other’s positions.”
“Hopefully, this time, Trump will appoint more rational individuals in the field of foreign affairs,” he expressed. “We’ll have to wait and see how he fills those positions.”
