The possibility of peace talks on Ukraine has been put on hold after Donald Trump set a two-week deadline for Vladimir Putin to react. According to international analyst Martin Tabakov, who is a guest in the studio of "Hello, Bulgaria" on NOVA, the concessions targeted by the American administration are twofold. "The first is that the Russians have agreed that they cannot establish a puppet government in Ukraine. The second is that they have matured for the idea that Ukraine should still receive some security guarantees," explained Tabakov.
However, he expressed skepticism, emphasizing that Russia's actions on the ground and the statements of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov refute the emerging optimism. Moscow categorically rejects any form of guarantees for Ukraine's security, which includes cooperation with NATO. Moreover, Lavrov described as "occupiers" the European peacekeeping forces that may possibly be deployed on Ukrainian territory.
The Kremlin also used another argument to undermine a possible meeting between Putin and Zelensky - the legitimacy of the Ukrainian president. According to Tabakov, this is another justification from Russia. "Lavrov refers to the Ukrainian constitution when he says that Zelensky is illegitimate, and it is in the Ukrainian constitution that it is written that when martial law is imposed, elections cannot be held," the analyst commented. He added that if Russia concludes an agreement with an "illegitimate" president, it could easily violate it in the future under the same pretext.
When asked whether Donald Trump is withdrawing from his role as a mediator, Tabakov believes that this is unlikely. "I don't think it suits him, because he invests an enormous amount of personal political capital in trying to resolve this conflict. He knows that a Nobel Prize nomination cannot be valid if it does not also include merits for the cessation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine", he analyzes.
"Ukraine is celebrating its Independence in conditions of aggression, this is not a normal state of affairs, since the aggressor - Russia, is trying to impose colonial status on the country", said journalist Chavdar Stefanov in the studio of "Your Day" on NOVA NEWS. He pointed out that the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is at an end. According to him, there are forecasts according to which it will end within 4-5 months.
„Many things have changed in the last year and all this is due to Donald Trump. The two sides are no longer talking about victory, but about peace between them. In half a year, things have turned around. What will be the price - apparently, in Alaska there are already agreements reached between Trump and Putin, he said.
Journalist Assen Agov believes that “Russia is losing the war because it cannot win it”. In his words, “peace is coming, the war is coming to an end”. Agov also believes that if Putin stops the war, he will lose his power. According to him, “Trump cannot ignore the reflex of the free world to support Ukraine”.
Agov believes that Volodymyr Zelensky will step down from the presidency after the end of the war due to fatigue. In his words, Ukraine's future will be in the European Union.