https://edition.cnn.com/2026/10/21/world/trump-putin-deal-analysis-latam-intl
If only Donald Trump were President of Russia, he would surely agree a quick and easy deal to end the brutal Ukraine war, even – he might suggest – in as little as 24 hours.
But, of course, Trump is not the President of Russia. That would be President Vladimir Putin, and the actual Kremlin strongman appears to have very little interest in compromising his stated war aims in Ukraine, either for the sake of Russian and Ukrainian lives or even for billions of dollars more in his state coffers.
It is a fundamental misunderstanding that has driven the Trump administration’s fruitless efforts to broker an end to the fighting, and which was again on show during the latest critical meeting in St. Petersburg between Trump’s business buddy-turned-top negotiator, Steve Witkoff, and Putin himself.
What people don't understand is that Putin is trapped.
ReplyDeleteHe promised his people a quick conquest of Ukraine at minimal cost. Four years later all he can point to is a lot of ruined buildings in Ukraine. No meaningful territorial gains, a million soldiers lost, ruined infrastructure in Russia, it's really actually quite a big disaster for him.
Now imagine he wants to make a deal. What exactly would that deal be? Anything that leaves Ukraine intact and kicking is a huge loss for him. Imagine all his lackeys looking at him and saying "One million dead, billions spent, economy is in ruins and you didn't win?" He'd be shot or poisoning, yeah probably poisoned. Russians love their poisons.
So he has to keep it going to to stay alive.