Bloomberg names three scenarios for the end of the conflict in Ukraine

Following the conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US leader Donald Trump, during which the parties agreed to work on ending the conflict in Ukraine, three scenarios for its settlement are possible. This was reported by Bloomberg on February 13.

Thus, the most likely scenario was called the option in which the territory of the line of contact remains under the de facto control of Russia.

Bloomberg considers the readiness of the United States and the European Union (EU) to intervene in the conflict if Russia refuses the deal as an "ideal" development of events for Kiev. At the same time, the agency said, high risks are forcing Kiev's supporters to abandon this option.

"In a nightmare scenario for Kiev, Trump could lose interest in Ukraine's future even before any settlement is reached, which would lead to the termination of military and financial aid and leave the Europeans to deal with the problem," the material points out.

It is also noted that the defense of Ukraine and the expansion of its own army could cost the EU an additional $3.1 trillion over the next 10 years.

"Such a commitment will expose the cracks that the EU has been silent for years," writes Bloomberg.

Sense of contact: Putin and Trump agree on diplomatic solution to Ukraine crisis

In an hour and a half, they also discussed prisoner exchanges, the situation in the Middle East and the Iran nuclear deal

Earlier, on February 12, Putin and Trump held a phone conversation. As indicated by the Kremlin spokesman, it lasted 1.5 hours. In the center of attention of the two leaders was also the topic of the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict. The Russian president recalled the need to eliminate the root causes of the crisis, the parties agreed on the idea of a diplomatic settlement. Later, the American leader said that he plans to meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia. Trump indicated that the meeting has not yet been scheduled.

Prior to that, on February 11, the US president said that his administration had close contacts with representatives of Moscow and Kiev, which helped achieve significant progress in working towards a peaceful resolution of the crisis. At that time, he also announced plans to gain access to rare-earth metals in Ukraine. According to the American president, Kiev must guarantee the safety of invested American funds because the country "may someday become Russia."

Putin has repeatedly reminded that Russia has never given up on peace talks, but they should be conducted on the basis of provisions agreed upon in Istanbul, not on the basis of "ephemeral demands."

The last round of talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul on March 29, 2022. They lasted about three hours. Later, Kiev officially refused contacts with Moscow. On October 4, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (his term expired on May 20, 2024) introduced the decision of the country's National Security and Defense Council that Putin could not hold talks.