US President Donald Trump is threatening to impose yet more sanctions on Russia, in order to pressure President Vladimir Putin to accept a ceasefire deal in Ukraine. But if Putin leverages the right mix of well-calibrated demands and tantalizing economic offers, he may well be able to position himself as the one calling the shots.
NEW YORK – The US and Russian delegations that just met in Istanbul had made it clear that they were there to discuss the normalization of their diplomatic missions’ work, not the war in Ukraine. But such engagement is a clear corollary to US President Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate an end to the war. The problem is that, with the exception of Trump, who dreams of winning a Nobel Peace Prize, no party with a stake in the war – not Russia, not Ukraine, and not the European Union – wants to end the conflict now. No one is satisfied with their negotiating position, and everyone’s reputation is on the line.
NEW YORK – The US and Russian delegations that just met in Istanbul had made it clear that they were there to discuss the normalization of their diplomatic missions’ work, not the war in Ukraine. But such engagement is a clear corollary to US President Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate an end to the war. The problem is that, with the exception of Trump, who dreams of winning a Nobel Peace Prize, no party with a stake in the war – not Russia, not Ukraine, and not the European Union – wants to end the conflict now. No one is satisfied with their negotiating position, and everyone’s reputation is on the line.