MOSCOW, January 21. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump does not have strong leverage to put pressure on Russia regarding the Ukraine issue, Aleksander Kwasniewski, who served as Poland’s president from 1995 to 2005, said.
"Trump has weak cards. The Russians are capable of waging the war for much longer, while the Ukrainians are running out of manpower and cannot do without assistance. This is not the most favorable position in talks with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin," Kwasniewski told Radio Zet.
Putin said earlier at a meeting of the Russian Security Council that Moscow was open to dialogue on the Ukraine conflict with the new US administration, with the priority being to address the root causes of the crisis. He confirmed that Russia was taking note of statements by Trump and his team members about their willingness to restore contact. Putin also emphasized the need to do everything possible to prevent World War III.
Trump took office as US president for the second time on January 20. He won the November 5 presidential election, defeating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who served as vice president in the previous Washington administration led by Joe Biden. Trump’s first presidential term was between 2017 and 2021.