Analyst suggests Trump use Arctic as leverage for peace in Ukraine
A US professor asserts that the proposal is “guaranteed” to capture Moscow’s attention due to its significant interest in the development of the polar region. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The proposal has a strong likelihood of attracting Moscow's attention, given its keen interest in advancing developments in the polar region, according to a US professor.
An opinion piece in Responsible Statecraft magazine posits that US President-elect Donald Trump could facilitate a resolution to the Ukraine conflict by offering to lift sanctions on Russia's Northern Sea Route and inviting Western shipping companies to participate in Arctic projects with Moscow.
Lyle J. Goldstein, a research professor at the China Maritime Studies Institute at the US Naval War College, noted that Trump's campaign pledge to quickly end hostilities between Moscow and Kiev now appears increasingly elusive. As the Russian military "continues its slow but steady advance," Putin might opt to pursue a more comprehensive military win and reject near-term Western proposals for peace, Goldstein observed.
"It is hard to imagine that dispatching more arms to Ukraine and slapping more sanctions on Russia will be successful at achieving peace,” he emphasized.
However, the analyst believes Trump has an opportunity "to break from the status quo and entice Russia to end the war" by framing the Arctic situation, where competition among global powers has intensified recently, as part of the negotiations.
Goldstein argued that this matter is “guaranteed to capture… Putin’s attention” because Moscow is keen on the effective operation of the Northern Sea Route, which stretches from the Barents Sea near Norway to the Bering Strait between Chukotka and Alaska. This route "holds the key to unlocking major development in the country’s vast, resource-rich interior and more broadly for Siberia."
To prompt Russian concessions, "the US would need to lift sanctions that have been applied against NSR projects… [and] facilitate major European shipping companies like Hapag Lloyd and Maersk to green light the route." Additionally, providing "encouragement and even incentives for Western investment along the NSR" from Washington and Brussels could further entice Moscow, Goldstein suggested.
"By appending peace proposals with a carrot guaranteed to catch Putin’s attention, negotiations having a substantial Arctic component could gain Trump’s favor and find success,” he asserted.
Trump expressed on Sunday his desire to resolve the Ukraine conflict through direct dialogue with Putin, stating, “We must end that war.”
In his end-of-year press conference last week, Putin indicated his willingness to engage in talks with Trump, saying he is "ready to talk [to Trump] anytime; I will be ready to meet with him if he wishes."
At the same event, Putin reiterated that Moscow remains open to negotiations with Kiev without preconditions, aside from those previously established in Istanbul in 2022. These conditions include Ukraine's neutral, non-aligned status and certain limitations on the deployment of foreign weaponry, with an emphasis on considering the current ground realities in any negotiations.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
An opinion piece in Responsible Statecraft magazine posits that US President-elect Donald Trump could facilitate a resolution to the Ukraine conflict by offering to lift sanctions on Russia's Northern Sea Route and inviting Western shipping companies to participate in Arctic projects with Moscow.
Lyle J. Goldstein, a research professor at the China Maritime Studies Institute at the US Naval War College, noted that Trump's campaign pledge to quickly end hostilities between Moscow and Kiev now appears increasingly elusive. As the Russian military "continues its slow but steady advance," Putin might opt to pursue a more comprehensive military win and reject near-term Western proposals for peace, Goldstein observed.
"It is hard to imagine that dispatching more arms to Ukraine and slapping more sanctions on Russia will be successful at achieving peace,” he emphasized.
However, the analyst believes Trump has an opportunity "to break from the status quo and entice Russia to end the war" by framing the Arctic situation, where competition among global powers has intensified recently, as part of the negotiations.
Goldstein argued that this matter is “guaranteed to capture… Putin’s attention” because Moscow is keen on the effective operation of the Northern Sea Route, which stretches from the Barents Sea near Norway to the Bering Strait between Chukotka and Alaska. This route "holds the key to unlocking major development in the country’s vast, resource-rich interior and more broadly for Siberia."
To prompt Russian concessions, "the US would need to lift sanctions that have been applied against NSR projects… [and] facilitate major European shipping companies like Hapag Lloyd and Maersk to green light the route." Additionally, providing "encouragement and even incentives for Western investment along the NSR" from Washington and Brussels could further entice Moscow, Goldstein suggested.
"By appending peace proposals with a carrot guaranteed to catch Putin’s attention, negotiations having a substantial Arctic component could gain Trump’s favor and find success,” he asserted.
Trump expressed on Sunday his desire to resolve the Ukraine conflict through direct dialogue with Putin, stating, “We must end that war.”
In his end-of-year press conference last week, Putin indicated his willingness to engage in talks with Trump, saying he is "ready to talk [to Trump] anytime; I will be ready to meet with him if he wishes."
At the same event, Putin reiterated that Moscow remains open to negotiations with Kiev without preconditions, aside from those previously established in Istanbul in 2022. These conditions include Ukraine's neutral, non-aligned status and certain limitations on the deployment of foreign weaponry, with an emphasis on considering the current ground realities in any negotiations.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
