03 January 2026, 09:00

Kedmi: Ukraine’s trajectory has two paths, it all depends on Moscow and Washington

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MINSK, 3 January (BelTA) – If Moscow and Washington mend their relations, they will be able to agree on Ukraine, political analyst, military expert, and former Israeli statesman Yakov Kedmi said in the latest episode of the V Teme [On Point] project on BelTA’s YouTube Channel.

“Trump doesn’t want to fight for Ukraine. Furthermore, Trump isn’t going to fight Russia for anything. He understands perfectly well the balance of strategic forces between Russia and the United States,” said political analyst Yakov Kedmi. “Therefore, there are two options: either Ukraine accepts Russia’s terms, in which case the Russian army’s advance westward will stop, or this advance will continue. We’ll see at what pace. Russia will determine that. And the most important thing for Moscow: if the Americans can’t force Ukraine to accept Russia’s terms, then they shouldn’t interfere.”

Yakov Kedmi noted that the United States, under the leadership of Donald Trump, has significantly revised its stance on the Ukraine conflict. The key change, he stated, is that Washington has halted direct weapons supplies to Kiev and is instead selling them to European countries. “If anyone wants to fight, here’s the price list. Pay for every bullet, we won’t fight for you,” he explained, characterizing the new U.S. strategy.

He further argued that the central issue in any Russia-U.S. negotiations is the future of bilateral relations. “If these issues are resolved, there will be no problem agreeing that Ukraine, or what remains of it, will not pose a threat to Russia. Russia will decide that,” the expert believes.

Yakov Kedmi concluded by emphasizing Russia’s national interests as a driving factor: “The Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian people in Ukraine… I don’t think Russia will be indifferent to them; it won’t be able to.”