As the American Secretary of State says Marco Rubio, “the ball is now at the Russian court.” This is an important moment.
The joint statement of the United States and Ukraine, after a long day of talks in Djeddah, contains several key lines, perhaps not more important than that: “The United States will communicate to Russia than Russian reciprocity is the key to reaching peace.”
We have heard a lot, in recent weeks, what Donald Trump expects from Ukraine and what type of blunt instruments the White House is ready to use to fold kyiv to his will.
Now, it seems, it is time that the intentions of Russia are tested, in public.
Trump’s relations with Vladimir Putin have so far been wrapped in uncertainty, without obvious sign of pressure to balance what is exerted on Volodymyr Zelensky.
US-UKrainian Tuesday’s joint declaration does not imply that Trump suddenly changed his air to Zelensky. Theirs is a thorny relationship, born from many years of mutual distrust.
But the nasty cloud of acrimony generated by this fractive oval meeting 11 days ago can start to dissipate as the real matter of peace begins.
With the immediate resumption of American intelligence sharing and security assistance in Ukraine, after a suspension that only lasted days, Russia could now feel pressure.
