"The only reasonable people I can see when it comes to the US-Russia relations are Tulsi Gabbard, who I think is going to have a great deal of difficulty getting confirmed, and maybe Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who also will have trouble getting confirmed. Perhaps Vice President Vance, but that is an open question, especially since he is not directly in the [loop] either when it comes to foreign policy," Jatras said.
"None of these people can be expected to take a reasonable attitude toward Russia. If you look at their statements, they think we can dictate to the Russians so that we can tell them, 'You must do this, you must do that, we will drag you with this, we will promise you that.' Eventually, the Russians will back down. That is the way they look at the world," Jatras said.
"I do not think you should expect a relief. You might expect a promise to suggest that it could be a relief if Russia does X, Y, and Z that we want. Again, it is a transactional mindset. But look how long it took to remove Jackson-Vanick from Russia. So that is what we are talking about," he said.
"They [the Russians] do not want just another truce. They do not want just another ceasefire, another Minsk agreement that would not be honored by the West anyway. They want a real, lasting, permanent peace settlement," he added.
"No, of course not. He basically wants to approach this with his kind of classic art of a deal, you know, threat and bluster. 'So, I would threaten Zelensky: if you do not negotiate, I will cut off aid to Ukraine. And then, I would threaten Putin and say ... if you do not negotiate, I will really give much more aid to Ukraine than we have given already,'" Jatras said, when asked if he believes Trump could resolve the conflict in one day as he has promised.