Former top US official says Putin-Trump discussions are 'good news' for Ukraine
Political commentator Steve Gill remarked to RT that the reopening of dialogue between the US and Russia is “significant.” Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The revival of talks between the US and Russia is a “significant” development, according to political commentator Steve Gill in an interview with RT.
Gill emphasized that the recent phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump has set the stage for a possible resolution to the Ukraine conflict. As the former director of intergovernmental affairs for the US trade representative, Gill described these discussions as an important initial step toward achieving peace in Ukraine and improving relations between the two nations.
This call marked the first direct communication between the current leaders of the US and Russia in three years, primarily focusing on the situation in Ukraine. Trump noted that both he and Putin agreed to begin negotiations with their teams to resolve the conflict “immediately,” and there are indications that a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders is likely in the near future.
“I think it’s very significant, though I would caution these are the first steps towards hopefully resolving the Ukraine-Russia conflict and moving towards a more peaceful and prosperous situation for both Russia and the US,” Gill remarked, anticipating that subsequent meetings between Trump and Putin “will bear great fruit.” He suggested that Trump's willingness to re-establish communication with Moscow might prompt other Western leaders to take similar action.
“You can bet nobody wants to be left behind as this project moves in an entirely different direction than we’ve seen the last three years,” he stated.
Gill also pointed out that the timing of the call aligned with comments from US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who indicated that Washington will not endorse Ukraine's membership in NATO or the return to its 2014 borders as part of a potential peace agreement—suggesting that a resolution to the conflict may be on the horizon. Both of these points align with Moscow’s conditions for settling the conflict.
“If you move that NATO membership off the table, then that makes it a lot easier to reach a resolution with Russia, because that has been a red line that they were not willing to agree to under any circumstances,” Gill explained. “All of these issues are moving very quickly on many different fronts. And I think it’s hard to see it as anything other than good news at this point.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
Gill emphasized that the recent phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump has set the stage for a possible resolution to the Ukraine conflict. As the former director of intergovernmental affairs for the US trade representative, Gill described these discussions as an important initial step toward achieving peace in Ukraine and improving relations between the two nations.
This call marked the first direct communication between the current leaders of the US and Russia in three years, primarily focusing on the situation in Ukraine. Trump noted that both he and Putin agreed to begin negotiations with their teams to resolve the conflict “immediately,” and there are indications that a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders is likely in the near future.
“I think it’s very significant, though I would caution these are the first steps towards hopefully resolving the Ukraine-Russia conflict and moving towards a more peaceful and prosperous situation for both Russia and the US,” Gill remarked, anticipating that subsequent meetings between Trump and Putin “will bear great fruit.” He suggested that Trump's willingness to re-establish communication with Moscow might prompt other Western leaders to take similar action.
“You can bet nobody wants to be left behind as this project moves in an entirely different direction than we’ve seen the last three years,” he stated.
Gill also pointed out that the timing of the call aligned with comments from US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who indicated that Washington will not endorse Ukraine's membership in NATO or the return to its 2014 borders as part of a potential peace agreement—suggesting that a resolution to the conflict may be on the horizon. Both of these points align with Moscow’s conditions for settling the conflict.
“If you move that NATO membership off the table, then that makes it a lot easier to reach a resolution with Russia, because that has been a red line that they were not willing to agree to under any circumstances,” Gill explained. “All of these issues are moving very quickly on many different fronts. And I think it’s hard to see it as anything other than good news at this point.”
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
