Trump offered peace to Putin, but deal was rejected, - The Guardian
Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected Donald Trump's "peaceful hand of salvation," which only prolongs war in Ukraine and worsens the situation for Russia.
According to Censor.NET, this was written by The Guardian columnist Simon Tisdall.
Putin is systematically destroying his own country. His war in Ukraine, which he started on his own, is a disaster for Russia in economic, financial, geopolitical and humanitarian terms, and the situation is only getting worse every day.
Peace deal on Moscow's table
Recently, US President Trump, who himself poses serious risks to his country, offered Putin a "lifeline." However, the Russian leader rejected this proposal.
The columnist notes that on the table in Moscow was a "peace" deal that, which would effectively reward Russia's aggression, by handing over large chunks of Ukrainian land, undermined Kyiv’s independence and weakened its defences against any future attack. If Trump managed to push this deal through, it would split the US and Europe, undermine NATO, support Russia's economy and likely threatened Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government.
These were the key objectives of the Russian war. But Putin, driven by imperial fantasies and a desire to go down in history, said "no." He is convinced that he can achieve these goals and even more by continuing the war, and assured the naive Trump that Russia's victory is inevitable and that the main instigators of the war are the cunning Europeans.
Russia's economic collapse
In fact, his calculations are wrong. After almost four years of war, he still hasn't achieved his goals in Donbas, and the situation inside the country is a mess.
After two years of artificial revenue growth fuelled by increased defence spending, oil and gas revenues – which account for up to 50% of Russia's budget – fell by 27% year-on-year. The country is on the brink of recession, inflation has reached 8% and interest rates exceed 16%.
The budget deficit is growing, more than half of Russia's liquid sovereign wealth fund has been spent since 2022, state monopolies are in debt, foreign investment has fallen sharply, imports of strategic goods have risen by 122%, and taxes on the population are rising rapidly – all to finance Putin's war. The price of vodka has risen by 5%, and even that is being paid for by Russians out of their own pockets.
Tisdall adds that Ukraine has found Russia's weak spot — oil refineries, pipelines, and a "shadow fleet" of tankers. Kyiv regularly strikes energy facilities deep inside the country, causing panic and fuel shortages.
The problems of Russian energy giants
Support for "Rosneft" and "Lukoil" is also weakening: Asian buyers, particularly China, are trying to avoid secondary US sanctions.
Russia's economic collapse has been accompanied by a sharp decline in its geopolitical influence. Russia is unable to effectively support its allies: Syria is moving closer to the West, Iran is under attack from the US and Israel, and Venezuela is seeking help in vain. Relations with China have deteriorated: Russia has found itself in the role of a dependent partner. During his recent visit to India, Putin appeared weak in a country that is boycotting Russian oil under pressure from the US.
The illusion of "Russia's victory"
The "Russia is winning" narrative is based on fabricated successes on the battlefield. Yuri Ushakov, one of Putin's aides, claimed minor territorial gains that "strengthened Russia’s hand." In reality, these gains are negligible.
Despite his superior resources, Putin has been unable to subjugate Ukraine: in the first eight months of 2025, Russia lost more than 280,000 people killed or wounded, for a total of about one million.
The columnist highlights the key question: how long will the Russian people tolerate a dictator who rejects all peace proposals and threatens Europe with war? Putin's willingness to risk the lives and well-being of his citizens is evident.
Journalist Alexey Kovalev notes that after the end of hostilities, Russia may face a "vast social crisis". The Kremlin fears this, so it suppresses dissent and controls information. This is one of the reasons why Putin does not stop the war — his crimes against his own people could cause his downfall.
Trump's absurd "strategy"
The recent failure of US negotiations has demonstrated Trump's one-sided "strategy" towards Ukraine. His attempts to make concessions to Russia have undermined Ukraine by attacking Zelenskyy and halting arms supplies. Trump's selfish desire to be a peacemaker, his appointment of incompetent representatives, and his attempts to bypass and humiliate Europe only encourage Putin.
Trump's interference prolongs the war. Europe and NATO must support Ukraine more actively: supply more weapons, provide loans for reconstruction with confiscated Russian assets, impose energy sanctions, respond to sabotage and cyberattacks, and show unity in the fight against Putin's terror.
"The Russian nation is too big to fail. Its proud history of struggle shows it cannot be beaten. But Putin can. He’s losing, not winning," Tisdall concluded.
