When a war becomes a war of ego, it is called Russia-Ukraine war!
How?
U.S. President Donald Trump talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin three times, and he genuinely hoped every time that things will progress in the right direction ultimately, leading to a ceasefire.
Russia liked to reserve the pace of progress, if any, of the possibility of a ceasefire agreement.
Trump and Putin held a talk on Monday—the third one during the last four months, and every time Trump, who wants to bring about peace and be remembered as a peace-maker, hoped that things would move fast, Kremlin thought otherwise!
“Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire and, more importantly, an end to the War," Trump observed after his talk with Putin on Monday.
Putin appeared slow as usual. According to reports, his stand was: "We have agreed with the president of the United States that Russia will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace accord."
U.S. President Trump and Russian President Putin held a telephonic conversation on Monday on ending the war—the third talk—but analysts maintain that the talks were without a deadline for the ceasefire.
While Ukraine and its European allies are too eager for an immediate ceasefire, Russia seems to be taking it just as any other business of the day.
Secondly, after the Monday’s talk with Putin, Trump briefed the leaders of Ukraine’s allies in Europe including European Union, France, Italy, Germany and Finland in a group call. While Ukraine and its allies think that imposing pressure upon Russia through means including military and economic sanctions is the way to bring Kremlin to ceasefire, Washington is not in this line of thinking.
A day after the talks, on Tuesday, London and the European Union allies of Ukraine went for sanctions against Russia without waiting for Trump’s ‘Yes’. The new sanctions targets Moscow’s shadow fleet of oil tankers and financial companies, which had so far managed to keep away from earlier European Union sanctions.
The sum and substance—
Monday’s ceasefire talk between Trump and Putin had ended in no conclusive definite line and while Trump remains patient and hopeful, Ukraine allies grow worry, and get warring.
No one is ready to believe the other, no one is ready to give cooling time to the other!
The European allies of Ukraine maintain that Russia should be and can be coerced into ceasefire, and this could be best done through sanctions. Russia has already been bearing huge number of sanctions, both by European Union and the United States—and still pulling on! So, to believe that another round of sanctions upon Russia will do wonder is unbelievably precarious.
Further, Ukraine President Zelenski still maintains that Kyiv and its partners might want a high-level meeting among Russia, Ukraine, the United States, European Union nations.
Russia a few days back had proposed a direct talk with Ukraine on ceasefire, and does not want to involve European Union nations. It is another issue that this talk was held in Turkey, though without any desired result.
"Ukraine is ready for direct negotiations with Russia in any format that brings results," Zelenskiy posted on social media platform X. He maintained that this talk can be hosted by Turkey, Vatican or by Switzerland.
Thirdly,
A few days back, a direct peace-talk between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul, Turkey on the ceasefire. However, the delegates who entered the talks comprised of mid-level officials from both the sides, first by Kremlin and then accordingly reciprocated by Kyiv. United States President Trump was on his Middle-East visit garnering investments from the oil-rich nations. And when talks did not make any desirable yield, he observed that things will move after he talked to his Russian counterpart. This talk came off on Monday—albeit with an inconclusive tone.
At the Istanbul talks a few days ago, Kremlin is supposed to have placed a completely new demand by saying that it wanted Kyiv to withdraw and recognise Russian control over regions that the Kremlin now claims as its own.
Kremlin controls at least one-fifth of Ukraine territories and is not willing to give it back to Ukraine, wanting the international community including Europe recognise the new status.
U.S. President Trump has already acknowledged involvement of ‘ego’ in the war and peace-talks, saying: “some big egos involved," adding that if there is no progress, the United States is “going to back away”, as “this is not my war”.
Three levels are involved in the war—Ukraine, European Union and Russia, with the United States trying hared to broker a peace.
The European Union is even trying to bolster up its defence spending only to stand up to Russia, now that the United States has decided to keep away to focus on its own economy to withstand a surging China.
Vatican too has repeated that Russia-Ukraine war should immediately end—though not just this war, but Israel-Hamas war too. Thus, even Vatican has its desire in ending the wars. Late Pope Francis as well as his successor Poe Leo XIV have earnestly asked leaders to end the wars for the good of humanity.
While in the case of Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine and its European allies want immediate ceasefire, people of Palestine want Israel to ceasefire immediately. Both Russia and Israel are the ones going to decide the time and conditions of ceasefire, a situation that could well be unilateral.
To conclude
Ceasefire talk on Russia-Ukraine war is moving in a spiral, back and forth, way. While Trump’s administration does not want much confrontation with Kremlin as its prime enemy is China, Russia with the support of China is aware of this situation. So, Russia is in no hurry.
European Union nations are engrossed in revising their economy—something that they cannot overlook. As for Russia, the war appears to be an opportunity to keep the European Union worried of their security. Ukraine, meanwhile, is in peril.
Given the spiral movement of the peace talks, the ball is entirely in the court of Kremlin, with the United States trying to play the referee but Kremlin not willing to abide by any rule that may be decided either by Washington or Europe.
Kremlin is claiming its place in geopolitics!
