But like I said before, they are playing for time. The Russians continue to play Trump for a fool by engaging in these talks and making absurd demands and Ukraine knows that nothing substantial regarding a peace deal will come from these talks.
Playing for time for what though? What strategically on the battlefront has changed in the last 5 1/2 months? Not much actually. The largest strategic gain possible was yesterday drone attacks by Ukraine. Russia pounded Ukraine with air attacks leading up to the talks. Ukraine was able to respond with more effective.
But that’s it. The only thing that Putin can play for is some victory he can point to at home that shows these last four years haven’t been a wasted effort.
In the mean time Trump has indicated that if nato states are going to continue to support Ukraine. Then it’s going to take more commitment with military money and trade sanctions.
In the meantime the UK has “announced” what might be their largest defense build up change since WW2. And Blitz is coming to Washington for talks.
Russia had no big gains since Jan nothing is lost and Trump has demonstrated I think in good faith an effort to negotiate and end the war. Which if we do have to get more involved will shore up support domestically for the effort.
There was no way the US domestically was going to do anything more significantly to support Ukraine. Without a genuine effort at negotiating a peace.
You can scream and holler all you want. Its a political process not “Simon Sez”.
Is this how it will play out, will Trump throw down? Obviously I can’t know this.
But he wouldn’t and couldn’t without this process taking place.
We’re not Russia, there are no dicta’s from a supreme leader in the Republic. Or at least we’re not supposed to operate that way.