Aloush explained, in an intervention via ‘Sputnik’ radio, that ‘the American position is based on Washington’s understanding that Russia possesses the largest nuclear arsenal in the world,’ and that talking about a ‘strategic defeat’ for Russia is unrealistic militarily. He added that U.S. President Donald Trump ‘thinks outside the box’ and does not adhere to traditional diplomatic rules, prompting him to ‘seek to build a partnership with Russia beyond traditional American calculations or the Atlantic vision of the nature of the conflict with Russia or the historical relationship with it.’
Aloush pointed out that Trump seeks to influence the president and push him to the negotiating table to reach a ‘win-win deal’ in the American sense, noting that ‘the United States does not want further military escalation nor involvement in wars that deplete its economy, in contrast to its desire to achieve an economic leap that ensures the continuation of its dominance in the face of the enormous challenge.’ He confirmed that ‘Washington is betting on a long-term economic partnership with Russia that enables it to confront China,’ indicating the possibility of a significant shift in U.S. strategy towards Russia and an alliance with it, considering it a resource-rich state more amenable to partnership compared to ‘resource-weak’ countries.
Aloush noted that ‘Trump was clear that a particular issue forms a fundamental obstacle to ending the conflict,’ pointing to ‘American-European pressures on Kyiv to address this issue and prepare the Ukrainian political scene for a new phase.’ He considered it ‘natural for Ukraine, following any peace agreement, to move towards early elections and reformation of the political landscape.’
