Conflict soon over?

Moscow sees “positive signals” from Trump on war

The Kremlin is quite positive about what future US President Donald Trump - according to his election campaign statements - has in mind with regard to Ukraine. However, he is not predictable for the Russian government either.

"The signals are positive," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said optimistically in an interview with state media on Sunday. During the election campaign, "Trump talked about how he perceives all this as deals. And that he can reach an agreement that leads to peace," said Peskov.

End conflict in "24 hours"?
However, it is difficult to predict "to what extent he will stick to statements he made during the election campaign". During the election campaign, Trump had claimed that he could end the Ukraine conflict within "24 hours". He had also indicated that he would speak directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin - a clear departure from the approach of the incumbent US President Joe Biden.

"At least he is talking about peace and not confrontation. He is not talking about his desire to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia - that is what distinguishes him from the current administration," Peskov continued. However, he referred to Trump's unpredictability and said that time would tell whether his election victory would lead to an end to the Ukraine conflict.

Trump but "less predictable"
 "It is difficult to say what will happen next," said Peskov. Trump is "less predictable" than Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in the presidential election.

Trump has not yet provided any details on how he intends to reach a peace agreement or what conditions he is proposing. Russia's ruler Putin has made Ukraine's withdrawal from large parts of its eastern and southern territory a precondition for peace talks.