The kremlin believes that Trump will help russia achieve the full capitulation of Ukraine

This was stated to journalists by the spokesperson of the russian dictator, Dmitry Peskov. He once again claimed that the russian federation can achieve the goals of the "SMO" by military means, but that a "diplomatic settlement" is "preferable".

According to him, putin "made considerable efforts before 2022 to pursue a diplomatic path to achieve our goals". Allegedly, back then russia received a "rather harsh refusal to even discuss the draft documents prepared by the russian side" from both NATO and the OSCE, as well as other international bodies.

In the kremlin’s version, it was Ukraine’s and the global community’s refusal to fulfill russia’s demands that led to the armed aggression against a sovereign state.

"If the political services of the U.S. … truly help achieve our goals by peaceful means, then that is indeed preferable", - Peskov said.

As previously reported, the initial goals of the so-called "special military operation" were declared to be the demilitarization and "denazification" of Ukraine, and recognition of the occupied Donbas as part of the russian federation. Now, the kremlin has added to its "wish list" international recognition of the annexation of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, and the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from all territories "included in the constitution of the russian federation".