Analysts assess Ukraine's role in the Russia-US dialogue.
Analysts suggest that Ukraine is "on the menu," rather than on the negotiating table, between the US and Russia.
According to RIA Novosti on March 19, British military analyst Michael Clarke told Sky News that Ukraine is "on the menu, not on the negotiating table" between Russia and the US for a peaceful solution.
"There's an old saying in diplomacy: 'If you don't sit at the table, you'll be on the menu.' And I believe Ukraine is on the menu," expert Clark said.
According to Clark, the Ukrainian president's absence from the March 18 dialogue between Russian and American leaders "says a lot" in light of Kyiv's crucial role in resolving the conflict.
Lev Sokolshchik, a researcher at the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics, told RIA Novosti that the US could act as a guarantor for the implementation of agreements between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump following their phone call, because Ukraine is unlikely to reach an agreement and the US has its own leverage, for example, military or financial.
Expert Sokolshchik stated: "Because the Ukrainian side is, in many ways, incapable of reaching an agreement, they are subject to various influences... But what could be a kind of guarantee or commitment here is the political will from the US side – a country with significant leverage to exert pressure on Ukraine. Politically, militarily, cutting off arms supplies, intelligence supplies, and exerting direct financial pressure."
The expert noted that during the phone call, Russia clearly stated its interests in ensuring national security, resolving the conflict in Ukraine, and its interests in relations with the US, including the opportunity to further develop cooperation in the economic field. Expert Sokolshchik emphasized that Russia is determined to protect its national interests while also being prepared to take into account the interests of its partners.
Sokolshchik added that during Joe Biden's presidency, a large number of issues and conflicts had accumulated between Russia and the US, "which cannot be resolved overnight or through a few phone calls," but the conversation between the two leaders, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, was a positive signal for a deeper bilateral relationship, allowing for "cautiously predicting positive momentum."
The expert also explained that the expert groups to be established to resolve the conflict in Ukraine will have to build mechanisms for implementing the agreements reached by the heads of state.
