The Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was a test balloon for Trump to find out, as he said, what Putin had in mind. The subsequent meeting in the White House between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders was another test balloon – for Europe – to find out what Trump had in mind. Both were useful yet not really productive.
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To start with, Putin has emerged as a clear winner. The red-carpet welcome on American soil with a historical connection with Russia could not have been more gratifying.
If well begun is half done, Putin has capitalised on the occasion by springing an invitation on Trump to travel to Moscow for the next talk. If successful, Russia’s isolation in the West would be gradually lifted. Even better if Trump wants to talk about anything else that could help to turn the West-sanctioned country into a normal one.
And Putin most certainly knows how to flatter. As he said: “Today, when President Trump [said] that if he was the president back then, there would be no war. And I’m quite sure that it would indeed be so.” How can Trump not nod to this?
It is easy to understand why the war, which has gone on for 3½ years, shows no sign of ending soon. What one cannot achieve on the battlefield can hardly be gained at the negotiation table. It is also easy to understand why Russia wants to talk about a peace agreement rather than a ceasefire.
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Why would Russia hurry to put down arms when it is making significant progress on the battlefield and has yet to fully control the four regions it regards as its territory?