Putin expects Trump to tire and accuse Ukraine of intransigence - Times
The latest meeting between Kremlin representatives and American negotiators ended with virtually nothing: Russia made no concessions. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is counting on Trump to change his position.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by The Times.
It is noted that Putin has not softened his demand that Ukraine cede the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions, no agreement has been reached on NATO membership or European security guarantees for Ukraine, and no agreement has been reached on direct negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Kremlin said that it does not "reject" the new US proposals, but simply considers some of them "unacceptable."
NATO expressed distrust of the Kremlin and supported tougher EU action against Russia
NATO has been much more realistic and forthright. At yesterday's summit in Brussels, the Alliance made it clear that it does not place much hope in Putin's evasiveness and half-promises.
"It is quite obvious that he does not want peace," said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, commenting on Russia's continuous drone attacks on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure.
Europeans have decided to increase pressure on the Kremlin. The European Union has announced the termination of all Russian gas imports by 2027—a powerful economic blow to Moscow, which has earned around €108 billion from gas supplies to the EU since the start of the invasion. This is more than half of Russia's total gas export revenues.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy wants to personally present his position to US President Donald Trump and urge him to increase pressure on Russia.
What will Trump's reaction be?
It is unlikely that the US president will respond with great enthusiasm. Moscow has probably correctly calculated that it is enough to tempt Trump with the prospect of an agreement and then deliberately destroy his expectations. Putin believes that Trump will quickly tire of this drag and begin to accuse Ukrainians of intransigence and Europeans of stubbornness. Such tactics could sow discord in NATO, fear in Europe, and despair in Ukraine," the article says.
According to analysts, Moscow is likely to exploit possible divisions within Ukraine's leadership. The latest large-scale and high-profile corruption scandal, despite its destructive nature, also demonstrates Ukraine's willingness to fight corruption resolutely, even during wartime.
Although democratic transparency prevailed in this situation, the incident dealt a significant political blow to President Zelenskyy. He lost his key advisor and is now forced to convince Western partners that their assistance will not be wasted or squandered.
Europe may finally decide to use frozen Russian assets for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. For a long time, this was hindered by concerns in Belgium, the country where most of the assets are held, about the possible economic, financial, and legal consequences.
Yesterday, the European Union assured Brussels of its readiness to provide support in the event of any lawsuits.
"The sooner these Russian funds are used to compensate for Russian aggression, the better," the newspaper believes.
The failure of the talks in Moscow is disappointing. But the Europeans have found understanding on the part of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is clearly better informed and more balanced than some other American negotiators. The only question is: will he be able to convince Trump to stand firm against Putin?
