U.S. President Trump should not give away concessions on behalf of Ukraine, says Norway’s Foreign Minister  Premium

Norwegian Minister criticizes Trump's concessions to Russia before Ukraine negotiations, emphasizes direct talks for peace.

U.S. President Donald Trump should not give away concessions on behalf of Ukraine before negotiating with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. Mr. Trump is giving Russia a “boost” at a time when Moscow is facing economic problems and military losses due to the Ukraine war, Mr. Eide said.

The Norwegian Minister was in Delhi for the MEA’s annual Raisina Dialogue conference, where the U.S.’s role in negotiating a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire dominated discussions.

As U.S. and Russian officials prepare for another round of talks in Riyadh on Monday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said at the conference that India has suggested to both Moscow and Kiev to conduct “direct talks” rather than negotiating through other countries.

In an interview with The Hindu, Mr. Eide said, “Most of the Russian economy is in trouble, and Russia was not in a good spot. And then Mr. Trump came in and started suggesting some concessions, to be given prior to negotiations.”

“It is important that Mr. Trump does not give away positions on behalf of Ukrainians that they don’t agree to,” he said in a reference to Mr. Trump’s comments on recognising Crimea as part of Russia and calling on Ukraine to “forget about” joining NATO.

“The war is between Russia and Ukraine. So ceasefire has to be owned by the Ukrainians and obviously, by the Russians,” Mr. Eide said. “The way the Americans have been playing this has given a new boost to Russia,” he added.

The U.S. has claimed a limited ceasefire is now in place with both Russia and Ukraine agreeing to avoid attacking each other’s energy and infrastructure installations. However, differences over the way forward persist. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who held a meeting on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue with Mr. Jaishankar and many other Ministers, including Mr. Eide, has said Ukraine’s “red lines” include not ceding Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia formally, and not accepting curbs on their military power or foreign policy.