Russia refuses to make meaningful step on road to Peace

Moscow probably is accepting an even greater risk by frustrating the desire in Washington D.C. for a swift closure of the senseless war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasized his commitment to peace, and his team of negotiators now have an opportunity in the meeting with U.S. counterparts in Riyadh this week to clarify that a ceasefire is not a peace, but merely a pause. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has become key to ensuring the durability of Putin’s regime, despite the Russian population’s lack of enthusiasm and growing weariness toward the war  (see EDM, September 10, 2024). Moscow’s new rapprochement with Trump is neither sincere nor sufficient for ensuring a benevolent U.S. attitude as material concessions remain incompatible with Putin’s urge to prove Russia’s right to dominate over its neighbors. A ceasefire would constitute proof of the senselessness of Putin’s war and leave him with the burden of consequences of his blunder.