VOA: Russia awaits Trump's next move after clash with Ukrainian President

Russians are closely watching U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine, following last week's tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Voice of America correspondents in Moscow provide more details in the following report.

After years of clashes with Washington over US military support for Kiev, many in Moscow are watching with unbridled enthusiasm the rifts between the United States and Ukraine, which came to the fore last week during a heated Oval Office clash between President Trump and Mr. Zelensky.

Russian media called the meeting in Washington "a disaster" and a "humiliation" for the Ukrainian president.

The Kremlin says it is ready for peace and accused Ukraine and European states of working to prolong the war.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sharply criticized the proposal to send European peacekeepers to Ukrainian territory.

"President Trump understands everything. He said that it is still early to talk about a solution. You can talk about this issue, but for this you need the consent of the parties. He is behaving correctly. Meanwhile, the EU countries, as well as their plan for peacekeepers in Ukraine, are a continuation of inciting the regime in Kiev to fight against us," said Mr. Lavrov.

Some see the Kremlin-proposed peace as a victory for Russia and a capitulation for Ukraine.

“Moscow wants peace on Moscow’s terms. From my perspective, it’s a peace that allows Moscow to fulfill its goals, to control Ukraine. So this is the Russian version of peace that I fear will not be compatible with a Ukraine that wants independence and a Europe that believes that states should be free to choose their own destiny,” says Jacob Kaarsbo, an international defense expert.

Others doubt that Russian President Vladimir Putin truly wants to achieve peace.

"Putin has shown no interest in ending the war. As Russian forces advance in eastern Ukraine, Putin may feel he is in a better position to continue a long, destructive war than Ukraine is," said analyst Lucas Robinson of the New York-based Institute for Global Affairs.

Muscovites who agreed to speak to VOA say they are ready to continue the fight if Zelensky does not choose diplomacy.

“If negotiations begin, their goal should be to determine Russia’s victory, taking into account the reality on the ground, because we are winning,” said Andrey, a Muscovite.

"In my opinion, the way out now is for our army to advance," says Artyom, a Moscow resident.

President Putin has not commented on the tense exchange between President Trump and Mr. Zelensky.

The Kremlin is waiting for President Trump to take his next step after his speech to the US Congress on Tuesday, where the American leader quoted a letter from Zelensky, in which the Ukrainian president stressed that he was ready to immediately negotiate to achieve peace. /VOA