Expert says Trump return raises hopes for negotiations

Russia may seize the opportunity presented by US President-elect Donald Trump's return to initiate dialogue with Ukraine and the West in 2025, while Ukraine will also adopt a more strategic approach to seek a better position in negotiations, said a Chinese expert.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has surpassed 1,000 days, revealing both changes and constants in the goals of each side, according to Chen Yu, deputy director of the Institute of Eurasian Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

On the one hand, Moscow's current objective is to achieve more results on the battlefield before Trump takes office, thereby accumulating leverage for future negotiations. It is difficult for Russia to demand the complete demilitarization of Ukraine or a total change in its leadership again. However, Chen said that Russia would still insist that Ukraine does not join NATO and seeks a degree of neutrality, and that Russia controls most of the territories in Eastern Ukraine.