Putin's early October diplomacy fails to deliver

Putin may believe that he has caught fresh wind in the sails of his rotting gunboat, but his war course still goes through a sea of deep troubles. The emptiness of his Valdai discourse was instantly obvious, and it will take only a little time to expose his inability to make even a slight difference in the world energy markets. Zelenskyy, for his part, said Ukraine would organize elections if Russia agrees to a 60-day truce. In combination with Ukraine’s innovative combat tactics and upgraded strike capabilities, this diplomatic flexibility indicates Kyiv’s resilience is sufficient to overcome further vicissitudes.