Former U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser K.T. McFarland told Newsmax on Tuesday that the call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed much more than just the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Speaking on Newsmax TV’s “Newsline,” McFarland noted that their main focus was undoubtedly on long-term relations.
“They’re looking ahead to what kind of a relationship they could have going forward. From President Trump’s perspective, he would very much like to drive a wedge between the bromance between the Chinese and Russian presidents,” she said. “He would also probably like to put a wedge between Russia and Iran. Russia is one of Iran’s major supporters in this continuing war in the Middle East.”
McFarland said Putin most likely is also looking for a fresh start with the West. “He’s been out in the cold for 3 1/2 years. He has been a global pariah. His only friends in the global stage are the North Korean president, the Iranian mullahs. And really, you know, [Chinese President] Xi Jinping. That’s it. And so President Putin, he really wants back into the club of … global world leaders,” she told Newsmax.
McFarland added that’s where Trump’s diplomatic strategy centers. “Only President Trump can give him that. So I think that they’re going to have talked about Ukraine. Hopefully, they’ve agreed to, if not a final agreement, at least an agreement to have another meeting about it. But I think that their real goal for both of them was to look beyond the Ukraine war.”
Everyone involved is seeking a “win,” McFarland stated, so the specifics of any ceasefire or agreement to end the war may still be a long way off. Also, Trump announced on Tuesday he had a productive hour-long talk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he offered, according to reports, to allow U.S. companies and engineers to take over Ukraine’s nuclear power plants.
