Putin’s fear of Trump has almost disappeared after ’peace talks’ in Moscow – The Times
Several weeks of diplomatic talks, redrafted peace plans and a visit by US administration representatives to the Kremlin have not produced any progress towards ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The Times reports this, Censor.NET writes.
A private jet carrying the US president’s special envoy left Moscow on 3 December, after which it became clear that Moscow had been overestimated – and that it is not prepared to give up attempts to subjugate Ukraine.
According to British media reports, the Kremlin made it clear that it does not see a choice between peace and war, but between total victory and a continued war.
"Putin is making it clear that he is offering Ukraine and the West not a choice between different peace options, but between achieving the goals of the ‘special military operation’ by military means or supplementing military action with negotiations, which would mean fewer casualties," analyst Alexander Baunov said.
Baunov also added that Putin is now "satisfied with the course of the war": according to him, the Russian president puts on a military uniform several times a month and issues orders to his generals – unlike during periods when the war was not delivering such results.
Russia’s resources
As publicist Andrey Kolesnikov writes, the Kremlin is convinced that even with enormous losses, Russia has sufficient resources – financial, human and psychological – to continue the war for a long time. In his view, harshness, austerity and high taxes will become a "normal state" for Russians, and a hybrid cold war with the West may last for years.
Peace plan
Even after attempts to rewrite the 28-point peace plan discussed by US and Russian representatives, concern grew in Kyiv and among Ukraine’s allies: many believe Washington is trying to push Ukraine into compromises, including giving up part of its territory or dropping its bid to join NATO. But, as the talks on 2–3 December showed, the Kremlin rejected any deal acceptable to Kyiv.
Former senior director for Europe at the US National Security Council Michael Carpenter said that the contradiction between Ukraine’s goal to preserve its sovereignty and democratic system and Russia’s goal, imperial domination, is fundamental:
"The only factor that can change this situation is the economic or military collapse of one of the sides."
"[Putin’s] fear of Trump and the United States has almost disappeared. The main and only bet the Russians are making is on the West’s softness and indecision. They have now discovered that all of Trump’s loud statements are just as much a fiction as the posturing of [French President Emmanuel] Macron," journalist and former Russian MP Alexander Nevzorov believes.
US–Russia talks
- Earlier, Censor.NET reported that talks between US delegates in Moscow on 2 December ended without a compromise and that the meeting with Trump would not go ahead.
- During the talks, Witkoff and Kushner presented the parameters of the updated peace plan following discussions with Ukraine in Florida on 30 November.
- According to Axios, after Moscow, they were due to travel to Europe for a meeting with President Zelenskyy.
- However, as Euronews reported, the 3 December meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was cancelled.
