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Even in Russia itself – in the Kremlin, around the Kremlin, and among its servants – they are beginning to realise what every child in Ukraine knows: Trump is not going to make a deal with Putin. And Putin is not going to stop.
The New York Times writes about this in a large analytical article from Berlin. Journalist Anton Troyanovsky quotes Russian politicians, experts and people close to the government, who are increasingly openly admitting that: “the peace talks are failing, and Putin is only increasing his appetite”.
“The movement towards peace is slow, and not as fast as we would like,” says liberal politician Grigory Yavlinsky, who tried to personally convince Putin to stop the war in 2023.
“Putin is just fighting, he is seizing the moment and wants the maximum before any real negotiations.”
What is happening now?
- Putin declares a fake “Easter truce” for 30 hours, while Ukraine supported the US 30-day initiative back in March. Moscow rejected it.
- Russia continues shelling, but at the same time plays propaganda to avoid spoiling the impression in the Trump White House, where there is still “formal optimism”.
- At the same time, the Kremlin is already getting irritated: Trump is demanding results, but he does not understand how to achieve them, has no plan and refuses to negotiate a post-war security architecture in Europe.
- Instead, Moscow is openly stalling for time, while promoting favourable business deals, the Arctic and space issues in order not to lose the chance to establish relations with Trump, even if the Ukraine talks fail.
“It’s a theatre for one audience – Donald Trump,” states one of the anonymous Kremlin sources.
Even the Russian elites no longer believe in the “agreement”. Expecting concessions from Putin is an illusion. He does not want to cease fire until he achieves his main goals: control over the occupied territories, Ukraine’s withdrawal from NATO and a new Yalta.
“Russia is not going to sacrifice its interests to help Trump solve his domestic political problems,” said Fyodor Voitolovsky, director of Russia’s IMEMO.
The US is signalling a loss of patience. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is already speaking out: Washington could withdraw from the talks “in a matter of days”. Trump himself hints at a “pause”. But the Kremlin is in no hurry: Moscow is confident that the war of attrition can end in victory – if not now, then in two years.
What does this mean for Ukraine?
- There will be no peace without the victory of the Armed Forces.
- Trump is not an ally. He is playing his own game, having no plan and no real leverage on Putin.
- Europe must act together with Ukraine, not wait for a handout from Washington.
“There is no understanding of how to achieve peace,” Yavlinsky admits of Trump. And he is right: Trump’s “peaceful 24 hours” are a bunch of bullshit. The real chance for peace is 30 days of silence, which Ukraine has already supported. But only the Armed Forces, artillery, allied unity and sanctions can break Putin’s imperial mania.
No one can stop a dictator who does not want to stop. But he can be destroyed – together, systematically and decisively. New York, Berlin, and even Moscow are beginning to realise this.
