US President Donald Trump is not only being “nice and gentle” with Russia, but is also using “instruments” against Moscow, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday.
“This is not delicate diplomacy, this is a tough game, but in my opinion it’s not that President Trump is being only nice and gentle with Russia, … I think he’s applying instruments against Russia, even though it’s maybe not as loud and visible as those he’s using against Ukraine,” Duda said in an interview with the Financial Times newspaper.
Duda also called for giving Trump a “chance” to stop the conflict in Ukraine.
“Nobody has managed so far to stop this war, so let’s give President Trump a chance,” the president said.
On Tuesday, a meeting between the US and Ukrainian delegations took place in Jeddah. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office published a joint statement following the talks, according to which Kiev is ready for the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, with the possibility of extending it by mutual agreement. The document also said that the US would immediately resume aid to Ukraine and lift the pause in intelligence sharing.
US President Donald Trump later expressed hope that Russia would agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. Trump also said that he planned to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week to discuss the issue.
In late February, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas criticized Trump for allegedly echoing Russian narratives and distancing himself from Europe while aligning with “new friends.” Kallas expressed discomfort over Trump and US officials repeating Russian talking points while discussing the Ukraine conflict.
