Russia not taking Trump’s sanctions threats seriously - WSJ
Vladimir Putin's entourage has reason to believe that Donald Trump's threats are empty. Although the war has depleted the country's resources and manpower, the Kremlin believes that it has successfully resisted sanctions and that Moscow is able to withstand at least another year of conflict as long as Russians continue to sign up to serve at the front.
As Censor.NET informs, The Wall Street Journal writes about this.
The journalists note that the Russian economy is certainly in decline, as billions of dollars are being invested in the country's defense industry. In addition, the Russian budget is also burdened by encouraging Russians to serve in the army and paying payments to the families of the dead and wounded. However, according to analysts, Russia has enough resources to continue fighting and has the upper hand for now.
As the WSJ notes, with another US aid package for Ukraine off the table, Trump's warning is too little to force Russia to change its basic demands, which include actual recognition of the seized territories, severance of NATO-Ukraine ties, and a significant reduction in the Ukrainian armed forces.
"Rather, the Kremlin tends to view Trump's statement on Truth Social as posturing before any negotiations, not as part of the negotiations themselves, and is still waiting for a more substantial initiative from Washington," the article says.
According to analysts, Putin is seeking a summit with Trump, where the two leaders could discuss a settlement acceptable to Moscow, excluding the participation of the Ukrainian leadership.
According to experts, Putin is likely to perceive Trump's latest warning as part of a political game to strengthen his base and demonstrate the tough stance he promised against US adversaries.
"Putin does not take Trump's statement seriously. He is ready for any scenario and has no illusions that an agreement will be reached quickly," said Paris-based political analyst Tatiana Stanova.
She argues that the tension in Russia's economy while worrying Putin, will not have a significant impact on his plans for Ukraine. The political scientist notes that the Russian dictator would be satisfied with a large-scale geopolitical agreement similar to the one agreed upon in Yalta by the leaders of the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union at the end of World War II, which heralded the postwar reorganization of Eastern Europe into Soviet and Western spheres of influence.
At the same time, Trump has already acknowledged that it may take much longer to end the war than he had anticipated during the campaign. Political analysts suggest that Trump's threat of new sanctions reflects his understanding that a deal may take some time and may also remove Russia from the negotiating table, the WSJ notes.
As a reminder, US President Donald Trump plans to restore relations with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
