WASHINGTON, February 21. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump is highly likely to succeed in resolving the Ukrainian crisis, according to Colonel Richard Black (retired), a former senator in the Virginia state legislature, who spoke to TASS.
"Trump will quickly end the war in Ukraine," Black noted, expressing his belief that the US president views Ukraine "as a minor player with an illegitimate, unelected president at the helm." He highlighted that Vladimir Zelensky has contributed to the spread of misinformation about Russia, propagated by representatives of the US Democratic Party, and that he "badly miscalculated" by supporting Kamala Harris in her presidential campaign against Trump.
"Zelensky's foolish attempt to influence the U.S. presidential election will cost Ukraine dearly now," Black emphasized. According to him, Trump considers Zelensky a "dictator" with a support rating of 4% and holds him responsible for initiating the conflict. Black advised Zelensky "to move quickly to secure peace, or he risks losing his country."
"President Trump initiated peace talks after a 90-minute phone call with President Putin," Black remarked. In this context, discussions have begun in Saudi Arabia. "Discussions are rapidly moving toward establishing new boundaries for Ukraine," Black stated. He also suggested that Ukraine "will be required to withdraw from Kursk, while Russia will retain all the territories it currently occupies."
Black underscored that Moscow has made it clear that the presence of NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine is unacceptable. "France and Great Britain seem anxious to insert troops into Ukraine, perhaps hoping to revive the conflict when the time was right, just as they once did with the failed Minsk peace accords."
"He [Trump] intends for the war to end once and for all. There is little doubt that he will succeed," Black concluded.
Negotiations in Saudi Arabia
On February 18, Russian and American delegations convened in Riyadh for 4.5 hours of discussions. The Russian delegation included Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, and Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). The U.S. delegation comprised Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff.
According to Ushakov, the delegations engaged in serious discussions covering all intended issues, including the alignment of positions between Russia and the U.S., as well as communication regarding Ukraine. Lavrov described the conversation with Washington’s representatives as very constructive, stating that both Russia and the United States had agreed to expedite the appointment of ambassadors in their respective capitals. The State Department noted that Lavrov and Rubio agreed to establish negotiating groups focused on Ukraine and on future cooperation regarding issues of mutual geopolitical interest.