Trump and Putin: a “double deal” on Ukraine and the Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump may offer Vladimir Putin a favorable deal as part of efforts to end the war in Ukraine, and the Russian leader would then use his close ties with Iran to unblock the Strait of Hormuz. A British newspaper reports this, citing sources close to the negotiations. Iran effectively closed the strait after the US and Israel struck Tehran on Feb. 28.

What is known about the planned agreement

Trump himself spoke about a deal being prepared after meeting Putin’s negotiator, Kirill Dmitriev, in the US. “I can’t tell you exactly what we discussed. But I’ll tell you this: it will be a deal, a big deal. And it won’t be only about Ukraine, and it may even affect all of Europe,” he said last week, adding that everyone would be thrilled. The US president did not disclose any details.

Concerns in Europe

According to the newspaper, the remark about Europe has raised fresh concerns that Trump may try to push Kyiv and other European capitals into an agreement that favors Moscow. Two unnamed senior officials told the paper that European leaders would oppose any such deal. A third source said Europe is preparing for a possible American offer aimed at persuading it to “sacrifice” Ukraine.

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and negotiator, also spoke about Europe. On Friday he wrote on the social network X that he had discussed “two key and interconnected elements of lasting peace” with the EU in Brussels: security guarantees for Ukraine and a broader European security architecture. Ukraine, Russia and the US will hold talks in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

The US and Iran may be close to an agreement

The same newspaper writes that mediators from the Persian Gulf states are convinced the US and Iran are close to a nuclear deal that would end the fighting and reopen the shipping route. However, they believe Tehran will need its Russian allies to persuade it as well before the agreement can be finalized.

The talks are taking place at a time when Iran and Russia are discussing deliveries of modern air defense systems to Tehran. That contradicts Trump’s claim that Moscow is not helping Tehran in any way. The newspaper also saw a “secret Iranian document” indicating that if the conflict between the US and Iran flares up again, Tehran would turn to the Kremlin for support.

Rumors that Iran has backed off some of its demands also suggest a deal may be near. According to an Israeli news site, these include insistence on control of the Strait of Hormuz and the collection of transit fees from ships passing through this key waterway. Oil prices fell after that report.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz