Some Conclusions from the Putin-Trump Phone Call.
As a KGB officer, Putin has perfectly profiled his opponent and is now fully in control of the game.
Putin feels confident and believes that victory is now merely a matter of formalizing it. He has managed to fool both Trump and other Western leaders, making them believe that the lasting peace is within reach.
This fiction has diverted the attention of Western countries — rather than pushing back against the aggressor in the unprovoked war he initiated and updating their strategic goal to ensure Ukraine's victory, they are instead looking for ways to freeze the conflict....
In reality, the Kremlin wants the West to stop supporting Ukraine, accept the loss of Ukraine’s sovereignty, and allow the country to fall under Russia’s control. I wouldn’t be surprised if, for example, the top of the U.S. administration has already agreed to this.
Putin is skillfully playing the peace card, linking the potential cessation of hostilities to extremely high demands (including NATO’s voluntary dissolution).
The U.S., which seems to need peace the most, will soon face a major dilemma — whether to put pressure on Putin or to accept Russia’s demands in the name of an imaginary peace. Unfortunately, Washington’s actions so far indicate that instead of pressuring Russia, the main focus has been on pressuring Ukraine and Europe to comply with Russia’s demands.
By mentioning an unconditional 30-day ceasefire to the U.S., Ukraine has shown that it is ready for a pause. Kyiv knows that Russia is not, and this should make it clear to everyone who truly wants war and who wants peace.
Yesterday, Putin agreed to temporarily halt attacks on energy infrastructure, but the pause lasted only 30 minutes. An attack on Sloviansk’s energy infrastructure last night left half the city in darkness.
The upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia are likely to continue under Russia’s tactical guidance.
