Ukraine analyst reveals Putin’s tactics toward Trump and West
Photo: US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
The Kremlin has ramped up its rhetoric about possible negotiations. This move is nothing more than another tactic of Moscow, said Ukrainian historian and diplomat Roman Bezsmertnyi in a commentary to RBC-Ukraine's YouTube channel.
According to the expert, Russia is trying to create the impression of readiness for dialogue when the situation is getting worse for it.
"This is calculated to make both Donald Trump and Europe soften their stance and halt further actions," he said.
Bezsmertnyi stressed that this is typical Kremlin behavior: as soon as Russia senses a threat to its leadership, it begins to "cozy up," promoting the idea of talks and negotiations. He also pointed out that these messages are being pushed alongside propaganda efforts, such as a recent interview by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with a Hungarian media outlet.
"On one hand, we see Lavrov’s interview in a Hungarian paper - pure propaganda, disgusting to read. On the other hand, there is a proposal for negotiations," he noted, calling it all an attempt to cozy up to Donald Trump.
According to the analyst, this narrative shift from the Kremlin is in direct response to Trump’s changing tone and his recent suggestions of cutting or reassessing aid to Ukraine.
Bezsmertnyi added that the Kremlin's behavior is unfolding "by the book."
Earlier today, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Russia had expressed readiness for a third round of negotiations with Ukraine. He also mentioned the possibility of a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine-Russia talks
The first round of negotiations took place on May 16 in Istanbul, where both sides agreed to a prisoner exchange in the "1000 for 1000" format.
On June 2, the second round of peace talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations was held in Istanbul. The meeting lasted around an hour, with Türkiye acting as a mediator. For full details of the second round, read the material by RBC-Ukraine.
Later, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed hope that another round of negotiations would follow, noting that progress had been made during the June 2 meeting.
