Kremlin hawks savour Trump-Zelenskiy rift — if it lasts
asserted
it → savour → rift
Kremlin hawks are savouring a public rift between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskiy after a damaging week for Ukraine's president and a beneficial one for Russia, but the champagne is still on ice in Moscow.
asserted
champagne → savour → Moscow
While welcoming strains in Kyiv's relationship with its most important ally, Moscow regards the US president's behaviour as unpredictable and European leaders rallied behind Zelenskiy at a summit last week.
asserted
leaders → welcome → summit
There has also been no end to Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia, most US sanctions remain in place on Moscow over Ukraine and Trump's actions can be seen in the light of November's midterm elections to Congress.
On the surface, there was plenty for Russian hawks to revel in after Trump repeatedly criticised the Ukrainian leader, who hit back at him, prompting the US president to say "it's time for Ukraine to get a new president".
asserted
Ukraine → remain → president
"The ‘Man of the Year’ and the ‘new Churchill’ has been branded by his former master as a hindrance to peace and to US interests.
asserted
Man → brand → interests
After all, he bit the hand that fed him until it bled," former President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, wrote sarcastically on Telegram.
asserted
Medvedev → bite → Telegram
Kirill Dmitriev, President Vladimir Putin's point man for economic deals with Washington, reposted an image showing a bear symbolising Russia alongside an eagle representing the US and both creatures confronting Britain — in the form of a lion — and the European Union.
asserted
creatures → reposte → lion
The image was captioned "Things Have Changed."
asserted
Things → caption → ?
Dmitriev said he believed Zelenskiy's decision to criticise Trump had backfired, adding on X: "Zelensky overplayed his hand, and his hubris and attacks on President Trump will have significant consequences."
asserted
hubris → say → consequences
SCEPTICISM
Trump said on October 9 he had reached a deal with Putin to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian fuel and import Russian diesel and last week skipped new sanctions on Russia's oil buyers.
asserted
he → say → buyers
In Kyiv, Ukrainian complaints about disruption to US intelligence sharing prompted talk of US betrayal.
asserted
complaints → prompt → betrayal
But there appears to be a consensus in Moscow that the Trump-Zelenskiy rift has not yet delivered significant benefits.
asserted
rift → appear → benefits
Sergei Mironov, parliamentary leader of the pro-Kremlin Just Russia party, saw the rift as an attempt to "play to a domestic audience ahead of the Congressional elections.
asserted
Mironov → see → elections
"
"The US President needs cheap fuel prices for his voters.
asserted
President → need → voters
He also needs a scapegoat – someone onto whom he can shift the blame for price rises," he said.
asserted
he → need → rises
"But the point is that all this has little to do with Russia’s interests.”
asserted
this → have → interests
Some Russians are also wary of what they see as frequent U-turns by Trump.
asserted
they → see → Trump
Moscow initially saw Trump's hosting of Putin in Alaska last year as a breakthrough that might lead to a peace deal in Ukraine on Russia's terms.
uncertain
that → see → terms
But, like Trump's first term in office, the summit is increasingly seen as a disappointment.
asserted
summit → see → disappointment
The impact of the diesel deal may also be limited, as the export volumes — at least initially — are relatively small and Moscow taxes fuel production rather than exports, limiting the uplift for Russia's budget.
uncertain
Moscow → limit → budget
Trump’s decision to skip sanctions on Russian oil buyers — primarily China and India — is also not seen in Russia as a great gift, or as surprising, as such a move would increase oil prices at the very moment he wants to lower them.
asserted
he → skip → them
A more tangible benefit to Russia may be Kyiv's complaints that it has not received recent warnings of Russian missile strikes and that there have been limits on the US Starshield system, which Ukraine uses for battlefield communications.
uncertain
Ukraine → receive → communications
Writing for state media outlet RT, commentator Sergey Poletaev said Russia must be patient.
asserted
Russia → write → RT
"For Russia, the task is to recognise this developing reality without mistaking it for an immediate victory," he said.
asserted
he → recognise → victory
"Zelenskiy has made his choice, the only question left is how long Washington will tolerate the consequences."
asserted
Washington → make → consequences
The Aporia
