Putin plays a waiting game with Trump in ukraine truce talks

On Thursday, Vladimir Putin addressed the US-Ukrainian agreements regarding a possible truce in Ukraine. He assured listeners that he supports the truce but expressed Moscow's concerns about achieving a "lasting peace." He claimed that this lasting peace can only be realized by addressing the "root causes of the crisis," though he did not specify what these causes are. Putin also suggested that a 30-day truce could allow Ukraine time to mobilize and receive new Western weapons. As a consequence, Russia plans to base further negotiations on the situation at the front.

Following the Russian leader's speech, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded. "Putin, of course, is afraid to say directly to President Trump that he wants to continue this war, he wants to kill Ukrainians," Zelensky assessed. He believes Putin is intentionally delaying his response until making "normal decisions" is "impossible." This perspective is echoed in Ukraine.

- I think Vladimir Putin's game with Donald Trump has now begun. The Russian leader will attempt to prolong the negotiation phase before any ceasefire or potential end to the conflict. Putin at the Kremlin said "yes" to Trump, but his thoughts are elsewhere - says WP Crimean political scientist Nedim Useinov, an expert from the think tank The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF).

As he emphasizes, Putin did not reject Trump to avoid hurting his pride.

- The American president took advantage of this in the media, claiming that good promises came from Putin. It seemed that all sides were satisfied, our source assesses.

Read also: There's something else on the table. Trump reveals new negotiations with Russia

Useinov points out that the critical issue is the Russian leader's declaration to continue military actions.

- Putin boasted about successes on the front, including expelling Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region, which now allows the Russians to shift significant forces to Donbas. He also "passed the ball" to the Ukrainian side by presenting Kyiv with unacceptable conditions. He now waits for Trump's move towards Ukraine, says the Crimean political scientist.

According to the Crimean political scientist, Putin's strategy may continue until Russia tries to close the Donbas border and conquer the whole region.

- Later, he might focus on the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which the Russians also consider theirs. With Ukraine weakened, he would try to impose peace on his terms. This is Putin's mindset. Whether he will succeed is uncertain. However, it is clear we are not on the verge of a quick ceasefire - believes Useinov.

He adds that everything now depends on Trump's actions.

- If Trump remains consistent with his statements, he will soon see through Putin's strategy, figure it out, and as a result, introduce stricter sanctions and facilitate new arms deliveries to Ukraine through his administration, concludes the Crimean political scientist.

As the Crimean political scientist reminds us, a situation similar to that with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during Trump's first presidency should be avoided.

- Trump began talks with Kim about North Korea's nuclear program, made several gestures, claimed a temporary victory, announced great success in the media, but ultimately, relations didn't significantly improve. In regimes like North Korea or Russia, dictators often stay in power for life. In the United States, the president serves a four-year term, comments Useinov.

- Remember, for Putin, Trump is a temporary phenomenon, whose time in the White House he wants to exploit for Russia's advantage. Today Trump is here, but in four years, he might not be. Meanwhile, Putin will still be there - sums up our source.