“The root causes of the conflict.”
These were startling words from a man purportedly on the path to peace.
But it is the nub of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s position of what must be solved for peace, after two weeks, or three months, depending on how you count, of mounting pressure for an immediate unconditional 30-day ceasefire. Unbothered, taking this most consequential of calls at a music school on the Sochi coast, the Kremlin head has returned to the start – to his false narrative about this war of choice being sparked by NATO expanding too fast.
I find this headline, and article, ingenuous.
Trump is doing exactly what Putin wants him to - getting the US out of Ukraine.
The US never was needed at the negotiation table because there are no negotiations. Russia wants Ukraine’s land. Ukraine wants its border restored, and anything less is a loss - Russia’s only “concession” is to stop attacking, for now.
Needs it.
Also needs to reassemble the USSR because Russia on its own isn’t viable economically.