Ukraine’s president visited Mar-a-Lago Sunday. NPR’s Leila Fadel talks to former Pentagon official Evelyn Farkas, now government director of the McCain Institute, about prospects for peace.
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Let’s dive slightly deeper now into these Ukraine peace negotiations with Evelyn Farkas. She served as deputy assistant secretary of protection for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia beneath President Obama. And now she’s government director of the McCain Institute at Arizona State College. Good morning, and welcome to this system.
EVELYN FARKAS: Good morning, Leila. Thanks for having me.
FADEL: So we simply heard the Ukrainian president yesterday had the identical factor to say earlier than and after the assembly with President Trump, that they have been at 90% settlement. So was any actual progress made towards peace yesterday?
FARKAS: Proper. I imply, look, it seems like we’re getting nearer. The US and Ukraine are getting nearer to an understanding about, you understand, what is perhaps the utmost that we might be capable of go by way of compromise with Russia. However the issue is that, as Danielle stated in her reporting, we do not know whether or not Russia is keen to make any compromise in any respect. So it is rather constructive that President Trump is engaged.
It is incredible that, you understand, Ukraine, after all, is making – I do not know if it is incredible that they are making concessions, however it’s constructive. They’re all sorts of choices, Leila, and that is all the time a very good factor. However, you understand, once more, we’ve to stay aware of the truth that Ukraine’s been compromising already with us – and, frankly, which means with Russia – and Russia has proven no signal of compromise to this point.
FADEL: Properly, let me ask you about that as a result of earlier than the assembly, President Trump spoke with Russia’s chief, Vladimir Putin. How important was it that he made that decision, and in addition that he stated Russia desires to see a profitable Ukraine throughout the press convention yesterday, even after Russia continued its assaults over the weekend?
FARKAS: Yeah, I will be trustworthy, I used to be slightly bit unsettled as a result of President Trump has this sample of chatting with President Putin earlier than he speaks with President Zelenskyy, earlier than he has main conversations with President Zelenskyy. We all know that when he spoke with President Putin earlier this 12 months that it was on the cusp of him, of President Trump, making a call about offering long-range missiles to Ukraine. And he got here out of the assembly with President Putin basically saying what he usually says after he talks to Russia and kind of did once more this time, that Russia desires peace, and in addition was very destructive and in the end didn’t resolve to inexperienced mild offering these long-range missiles to Ukraine.
So I feel that the brake that President Putin has on President Trump in these calls isn’t essentially constructive as a result of it permits President Putin to get the final phrase in earlier than President Trump goes into a gathering, which is not to say that this time I do not discover some distinction, as a result of I feel that President Trump’s advisers, the secretary of state and others, have clearly finished lots homework. And so they’ve finished numerous preparation additionally with our president. However I do not assume that it was the proper sign to ship. We’ll see what occurs, whether or not he goes again and calls him once more. It’s good that he spoke with the Europeans as nicely after the assembly. However once more, I might – you understand, I feel it is preferable that President Trump speaks to his advisers after which speaks with the Ukrainians and later loops within the Russians.
FADEL: Does Russia need peace?
FARKAS: No, I don’t imagine that Russia desires peace proper now. And once I say Russia, I imply the Kremlin, I imply President Putin, the elites round him. It seems that both President Putin is bluffing, or he has been satisfied as soon as once more by his intelligence consultants, by his navy that Russia has the higher hand proper now. Russia is making very small tactical advances on the bottom. And so they’re making an attempt to current this as some form of, you understand, inexorable, some form of inevitable victory for Russia. Russia could be very removed from victory, as you understand from all of the reporting NPR has finished. They’re beneath unbelievable financial stress.
The US has a chance to power Russia to compromise by placing extra strain on Russia. However proper now, the Russian authorities does not need peace. And I will additionally add that even when we did get a ceasefire or some form of peace settlement, I might nonetheless be frightened for our European allies as a result of President Putin has a wartime economic system. He has a wartime politics internally. So it will likely be laborious for him to truly flip, if he may even do it in his personal thoughts, to a peacetime, you understand, political scenario, surroundings within the Russian Federation.
FADEL: You talked about extra strain on Russia. At this level, what sort of diplomatic effort do you assume would truly deliver the conflict to an in depth if that is even potential?
FARKAS: Properly, this is the place I do not actually see diplomacy as being the important thing with Russia, as a result of it seems like President Putin simply says, I would like peace, I would like peace, however does nothing verbally or in any other case to exhibit he desires peace. As Danielle talked about, he is been bombarding Ukrainian civilians each evening. We have to put financial strain on the Russian authorities but additionally proceed the navy strain. We have to present Ukraine with weapons in order that they will put out the – you understand, to allow them to hit within the rear of Russia and put out the Russian refineries, et cetera.
FADEL: Evelyn Farkas is a former Pentagon official who directs the McCain Institute at Arizona State College. Thanks a lot on your time.
FARKAS: Thanks, Leila.
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