Putin Trump's 'Biden Erase' Response Repeats Fail-out Demands, 'Prolonged Negotiations'

Putin Trump's 'Biden Erase' Response Repeats Fail-out Demands, 'Prolonged Negotiations'

Russian President Putin has repeatedly proposed to US President Trump the 'ban on expanded NATO training' that was broken off in negotiations with former US President Biden, prolonging negotiations on the 'early ceasefire in Ukraine' that began as Trump's 'Biden Erase' strategy.
Reuter reported on the 12th, citing two people familiar with the matter, that Putin's list of negotiation demands in response to the US' '30-day temporary ceasefire request' included the 'ban on expanded NATO training' that the Biden administration had broken off.
Reuter reported that Russia submitted a list of negotiation demands to the US to end the war with Ukraine and reset relations with Washington, and that Russian and US officials have discussed 'conditions' through face-to-face and virtual talks over the past three weeks.

In recent weeks, U.S. and Russian officials have said a draft agreement discussed by Washington, Kiev and Moscow in Istanbul in 2022 could be the starting point for peace talks, but “no agreement was ever reached,” Reuters reported. “In those talks, Russia demanded that Ukraine abandon NATO ambitions, accept permanent nuclear-free status and exercise a veto over actions by countries seeking to help Ukraine in the event of war,” the report said.

In negotiations with the Biden administration just before the invasion, Russia reiterated its previous demands, including a ban on Ukraine joining NATO, the implementation of an agreement not to send foreign troops to Ukraine and international recognition of Putin’s claim that Crimea and four other Russian provinces belong to Russia, which Biden rejected, and Russia invaded. Putin has in recent years demanded that the U.S. and NATO address what he calls the “root causes” of the war, including NATO’s eastward expansion.

Reuters quoted officials as saying that “it is unclear exactly what Moscow included on the list or whether it was willing to engage in peace talks with Kiev before accepting it, but they described the Kremlin’s terms as broad and similar to demands it had previously made to Ukraine, the United States and NATO,” repeating the list.

“In late 2021 and early 2022, as tens of thousands of Russian troops sat on Ukraine’s border awaiting orders to invade, Moscow discussed them in a series of meetings with the Biden administration, including a demand to limit U.S. and NATO military operations to Eastern Europe and Central Asia,” Reuters said. “The Biden administration attempted to forestall an invasion by rejecting some of the terms and cooperating with Russia on some of them, but the effort failed and Russia struck on February 24, 2022,” according to a review of U.S. government documents.

The New York Times reported that “President Putin visited a command post near the Kursk Front late on the 12th to cheer on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from most of the territory they had occupied along the Russian border,” and that “Putin said a temporary ceasefire would only benefit Ukrainian troops who were retreating from the battlefield and that they could use the delay to replenish their manpower,” revealing the deadlock in negotiations. 

The NYT continued that “Russia demanded a broad security agreement backed by the West, including assurances that Ukraine would not join the NATO military alliance and other commitments that would risk eroding Ukraine’s sovereignty,” and “Putin said in a December briefing, ‘We don’t need a ceasefire. We need peace. "We need a long-term and sustainable peace with guarantees for the Russian Federation and the Russian people," he said.

The Guardian reported that "even if Russia accepts a 30-day ceasefire, negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are likely to be protracted unless President Trump has an overwhelming 'card'," and "if President Trump does not accept the ceasefire agreement, it is questionable whether effective sanctions will be possible even with the warning of 'financial measures against Russia'."
The Guardian said that "financial sanctions that could hit Russia remain the withdrawal of an exception clause that allowed Russian banks to receive payments for energy exports, but it is not easy to implement because it has a big impact on the global energy market," and "even if President Trump supports Russia by easing restrictions on Russia's access to the Western financial system and lifting restrictions on some Western technologies, the European allies' own sanctions are likely to remain in place," revealing the absence of a negotiating card.

Regarding the US's increased military support for Ukraine, which Putin's side is most concerned about, the Guardian said, "Since President Trump has already reduced military support for Ukraine, it is unlikely that the US will choose the military support card." It was seen as a failure

The Trump administration stopped the Biden administration's military support to pressure Ukraine in the early days of its launch, and the Trump camp exhausted its weapons support strategy by returning to 'resumption of intelligence support' from Ukraine's 'ceasefire and mineral trade agreement'.

On the 12th, President Trump told reporters at the White House, "US officials are going to Russia to discuss a 30-day ceasefire," and "I hope a ceasefire can be reached, but ultimately it is a matter for Russia to decide," shifting the initial "end of war immediately after election" position to "Russia's responsibility." 

On the 12th, US Secretary of State Rubio told reporters in Ireland, "We are eagerly awaiting Russia's response and strongly urge Russia to consider a cessation of all hostilities," and "If Russia's answer is 'Yes,' we will know that we have made real progress and there is a possibility of real peace, and if Russia's answer is 'No,' it will be very regrettable and will make Russia's intentions clear," revealing the "Russian decision-making authority." 

President Trump has repeated the political principle of “promises made, promises kept,” and during the presidential election, he pledged to “eradicate illegal immigration, end inflation, and end the war in Ukraine.” Regarding the pledge to “end the war in Ukraine,” Trump said, “If I were president, the war would not have happened,” and said, “Biden is responsible for the war,” and repeatedly pledged, “If I become president, I will end the war within 24 hours.”  

“Many important details need to be sorted out, and any agreement must address the root causes of the conflict,” Putin told reporters on the 13th. “He supports the U.S. proposal in principle, but he has demanded several clarifications and conditions that seem to preclude a quick end to the fighting,” Reuters reported. 

The New York Times reported on the 13th with the headline “In No Rush for Ceasefire, Putin Demands Numerous Ukrainian Concessions” and the subheading “Russian Leader’s Remarks Suggest He Wants to Draw Out Negotiations or Make a Ceasefire Impossible,” stating, “Putin’s remarks came before he met with Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Middle East envoy, to discuss a ceasefire proposal that Ukraine had already agreed to,” as a “refusal.”