the Associated Press reports , while trying to keep Donald Trump in his favor by not overstepping his bounds in his remarks about the United States.
Despite Russia’s aggressive actions, Putin has shown diplomatic restraint in dealing with Trump, who previously promised to “stop the war in 24 hours.” The article mentions that Trump has repeatedly spoken with Putin, criticized the Ukrainian leadership, and called Zelensky “ungrateful.” At the same time, the former US president has warned Putin that he may resort to sanctions if his peace proposals are not taken into account.
But in recent days, Trump’s rhetoric toward Putin has changed. He has said the Russian president is “playing with fire” and has “lost his mind” over his increased attacks on Ukraine. In response, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, remarked: “I only know of one really bad thing: World War III. I hope Trump understands that.”.
Analysts see Putin's actions as part of a psychological game. Moscow political scientist Fedor Lukyanov believes that the Russian leader is hoping for concessions from the West, because for him this war is a matter of principle, and for the United States it is just one of many foreign policy challenges.
According to Western experts, the Kremlin is not going to ease the pressure. On the contrary, in the coming months, Russia may intensify offensive actions to increase control over Ukrainian territories before a potential new round of negotiations.
Jack Watling of the British Royal United Services Institute believes that Moscow will try to occupy the entire Donetsk region and demonstrate to Europe that the war is escalating in order to deter potential military intervention.
The Carnegie Center also points out that the talks with Putin are nothing more than an attempt to “give Trump the appearance of diplomatic progress” without compromising on principled positions. According to analyst Tatyana Stanova, the Kremlin is trying to show constructiveness without intending to change course.
The signal from Moscow, according to observers, remains unchanged: the war will continue until Ukraine and the West agree to the Kremlin's conditions.
