Last Sunday, during a press conference at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he had rejected a European ultimatum for a ceasefire, but proposed to hold “direct negotiations without any preconditions” with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul.
President Donald Trump quickly chimed in stating, “President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY. At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!”
He did. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky then took it up a notch, challenging Putin to meet him one-on-one: “There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Turkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses.”
Zelensky made the trip to Turkey, then returned to Ukraine after Putin balked.
Putin stayed home, along with his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who two weeks ago told the world, “Russia will accept nothing less than total victory over Ukraine.”
Instead, Putin sent his presidential aide, Vladimir Medinsky, to lead the Russian negotiation team.
Ex-Russian TV Editor: Putin Receives Private News Bulletins Since 2011
The talks on Friday lasted just 90 minutes. Medinsky’s comments mirrored Lavrov’s: “Maybe some of those sitting here at the table will lose more of their loved ones. Russia is prepared to fight forever.”
The only positive news coming from the meeting was an exchange of prisoners of war – 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners for 1,000 Russians, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Putin answered Trump’s question concerning whether or not a deal was possible – no. The question now is – what does “proceed accordingly” mean?
Apparently, more meetings?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Thursday, “I frankly, do not believe that we’re going to have a breakthrough here until President Trump sits face to face with President Putin and determines what his intentions are moving forward.”
The president echoed Rubio’s comment later that day, “Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together.”
Even Pope Leo XIV extended an offer for Zelensky and Putin to use the Vatican as a location for a bilateral Russia-Ukraine meeting.
But more meetings play into the Kremlin’s playbook – stall, buy time, continue to strike civilian targets with ballistic missiles and drones, make incremental advances on the battlefield via relentless “meat assaults,” and build additional combat power.
And the longer this plays out – the more emboldened and confident Putin becomes, not just in Ukraine.
Earlier in the week, reports circulated that Russian troops were ‘massing’ along the border with Finland and that Russia had recruited people on Telegram to set fire to the Marywilska 44 shopping center in Warsaw, Poland.
Let’s be frank. Russia had no intention to discuss a ceasefire nor a peace deal, they came with more demands and threats: “If the four new Russian regions are not recognized now, in the near future, then next time there will already be six.”
Putin believes he is winning, despite having amassed 971,690 casualties – 1,100 on Friday alone. Retired US Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg puts it more succinctly: “Russia’s not winning this war. Russia has not made any major advances in the last year and a half.”
Rubio is wrong when he continues to say, “This war will eventually end with a negotiated settlement; it will not end with a military solution.” That is not what Russia thinks, nor what the Kremlin is preparing for.
Russia only comes to the table with conditions for Ukraine’s surrender – and they are prepared to set those conditions in order to achieve that objective. The sooner the West comes to terms with that reality, the sooner it can take decisive action to prevent it.
Ukraine can still defeat Russia, but more economic sanctions will not secure its freedom. This lawyer approach – the least intrusive means – is viewed as a weakness in Moscow. Russia’s allies will continue to support them economically and with weapons, ammunition, and soldiers.
Putin is intent on destroying all things Ukraine – genocide. He deliberately targets civilians, hospitals, schools, shelters, churches, energy infrastructure and historic cultural sites. He kidnaps children and displaces Ukrainian citizens with Russians. That has not changed.
Team Trump has been pursuing a ceasefire now for 117 days. They are no closer today than they were on Jan. 20.
Contrary to Rubio’s comment that “we cannot … continue to fly all over the world and engage in meetings that are not going to be productive,” that is exactly what they have done – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, St. Petersburg, Moscow, and now Istanbul, Turkey.
As retired US Army Gen. Jack Keane stated, Putin’s absence from Istanbul is proof enough that he is not interested in a ceasefire. Zelensky’s presence is evidence that he wants to pursue peace – agreeing to a 30-day ceasefire and being open to negotiations.
Trump’s phone call to Putin on Monday is unlikely to produce any tangible outcomes. As a senior European diplomat stated in the Financial Times, “Putin is doing just enough to convince Trump that he is engaged in this effort to find peace in Ukraine, while also doing as much as possible to make sure it goes nowhere. And Trump is falling for it.”
Team Trump is running out of excuses for Putin. It is time for decisive action.
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.
Copyright 2025. Jonathan E. Sweet and Mark C. Toth. All rights reserved.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
