While the world is waiting for if it appears in Türkiye for the ceasefire negotiations this week, President Vladimir F. was. Putin and his officials send a clear message. They win the battlefield, so they must get what they want.
In late March, Mr. Putin said that the Russian forces had an advantage over the entire front, and suggested that Moscow was close to the defeat of the Ukrainians – an argument that the Kremlin used to support the requirements. “We have a reason to believe that we are ready to end them,” said Mr. Putin, adding: “People in Ukraine need to realize what is going on.”
Repeat André F. Cartlalolov, Chairman of the Defense Committee in the Lower Russian Parliament Chamber, that message on Tuesday, saying that Ukraine needed to recognize the Russian army in 116 directions. He added that if the Ukrainians do not want to speak, they must listen to the “Russian spear language”.
The solid ball approach was accompanied by games on peace negotiations. It is not clear whether Mr. Putin will attend the talks he initially proposed to the mid -level delegation on Thursday in Türkiye. Mr. Zellinski increased the bet, saying that he would attend and expect that Mr. Putin will see, knowing that Mr. Putin hates his interview. President Trump said he might go if the Russian president went.
Mr. Putin left everyone to forget.
The Russian position was a challenge to the Trump administration, which found that Russian officials are asking for a severe demand that placing the battlefield does not seem to be justified. While the Russian forces have seized this feature and took their lands recently, they were far from the defeat of the Ukrainians and advanced at a very high cost.
However, in talks with Trump administration officials, they insisted on Ukraine accepting strict restrictions on its army, including the number of soldiers, the number of weapons and the type of weapons. They were calling for full lands in all four regions that Moscow claims to have in eastern Ukraine, including regional capitals controlled by Ukraine.
“It is not possible to expect Russia to be granted lands who have not yet succeeded,” Vice Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with Fox News earlier this month.
No success by Washington in the talks is likely to stop the convincing of Mr. Putin in some way that he will benefit more than warm relations with the United States more than the additional gains in the battle.
Over the past 16 months, when Russian forces have seized this initiative, Moscow has acquired 1827 square miles from Ukraine, a small area of Delaware, according to data from the Institute of War Study until April 1.
During that period, the United States government is estimated, Russia has lost more than 400,000 soldiers to death or injury – a high cost to control less than 1 percent of Ukrainian lands.
Russia is unlikely to be easily persuaded. Mr. Putin has a strong desire for Ukraine to surrender and believes that the most powerful supporter of Kiev, the United States, is already withdrawing its support.
In the wars of attrition, additional gains can define a penetration, if the losing side of the forces, ammunition and its defensive lines are running out at the end. This may be what Russia depends on: Ukraine, whose population in wartime is less than a quarter of Russia, has lost many soldiers carrying the line.
Russia also has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, although Mr. Putin said he had not yet seen his use. He has an enormous production capacity, which would be greatly weighing in its favor if the US front of the United States is dried to Ukraine.
Also, Mr. Putin does not seem to bother more threats from the West. On Wednesday, European Union officials took a step towards approving additional sanctions against Russia, including a plan to heat the “shadow fleet” of ships that transport oil, according to diplomats familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal circulation. Mr. Trump, while threatening new penalties, has not imposed any of them yet.
Tatiana Stanovaya, an older colleague at the Russian -European Carnegie Center, said that Mr. Putin expected the collapse of defense lines in Ukraine after gradually weakening.
“This will be a dangerous psychological blow that will say the elites,” Zelinski, “said. We will now reach an agreement with Putin. ”Putin believes that all of this should happen and will happen.
But he also wants to protect his ties with Mr. Trump, the most convenient American president in Russia years. Mrs. Stanovaya said that Mr. Putin will continue to try to obtain it in both directions, adding that this is the reason that the Russian leader suggested the talks.
She said: “The proposal of the meeting in Istanbul with delegations is an attempt to keep Trump in the negotiation process.” “He does not do this for the Ukrainians, he does this for Trump – just to Trump.”
As a result, she said, everything that happens on Thursday will be “show.”
She said, “Each side will try to play its role.” “But in reality, the circumstances are not present to a real serious discussion of any truce or peace.”
Gina Smileick It contributed to the reports from Brussels.
