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Ukraine, the West on the verge of defeat, and Trump tries to prevent it — expert

The US leader is desperate to avoid it, but he has no understanding of the overall situation, no ideas and so just keeps concocting variations of the ceasefire idea, Michael Brenner noted

WASHINGTON, August 10. /TASS/. Ukraine and its Western allies stand on the brink of a "humiliating defeat" in the conflict with Russia, and US President Donald Trump is making a desperate attempt to avert it, Michael Brenner, former Director of the International Relations & Global Studies Program at the University of Texas, honorary professor at the University of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), and former Consultant to the US Department of State and the Pentagon, told TASS.

"Trump craves attention, above all. Putin recently has ignored his ultimatums and deadlines [on Ukraine]. Therefore, a face-to-face meeting is badly needed," he said.

In his assessment, "Ukraine, the United States, and the West are on the brink of a humiliating defeat." "Trump is desperate to avoid it, but he has no understanding of the overall situation, no ideas and so just keeps concocting variations of the ceasefire idea. If he could just stop the fighting, even temporarily, he could strut in the limelight as a great peacemaker," Brenner added.

From the American political scientist’s perspective, for Moscow the summit could be the last chance to secure from Washington an understanding of Russia’s position and corresponding actions. Should this effort fail, in his view, it would mean "an outright, systemic confrontation with Washington as well as the hopeless Europeans."

Trump stated on Friday that he expects to hold a meeting with Putin in Alaska on August 15. The plans for these talks were later confirmed by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov. According to him, Putin and Trump will focus on discussing options for achieving a long-term peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. The Kremlin expects the next meeting between Putin and Trump to take place on Russian territory, Ushakov emphasized.