Kremlin will keep using Trump to achieve its goals without war – Feigin

He said this on Espreso TV.

"As for the war, the Kremlin's strategy to drag it out wasn't chosen yesterday. They realized early on they couldn't conquer Ukraine in three days, so they had to wear it down. This decision was made even before Trump, and they will keep sticking to this tactic because the alternatives are either a peace deal or a massive injection of resources for a real victory. They don’t have those resources. I'll stress it again: Pokrovsk and other cities the Kremlin tried to capture at the end of last year weren't taken. This shows there’s a lack of manpower, equipment, and ammunition. And there won’t be anything like full control of the troops either. Despite small local successes Russia has in different parts of the front, there's no serious talk about a large-scale offensive that could capture Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, or reach Dnipro. A long war isn’t what the Kremlin originally wanted – it's a forced move because they don’t have the strength for anything else. And in a drawn-out war, the Kremlin really does gain the upper hand, even though manpower and resources are spent – because they can rebuild, depending on the situation," Feigin explained.

The politician is sure that the Kremlin will continue trying to use Donald Trump to lift sanctions and restore economic ties with the United States, even if negotiations fail. He also added that Moscow is trying to act as a mediator between the United States and Iran on the nuclear issue.

"What’s crucial: the Kremlin will keep using the politically favorable American administration and Trump to push its agenda without military force – through pressure and talks. They definitely don't want Trump out of the negotiation process because he’s saying and doing everything they need. Even if negotiations stall and Ukraine and Europe resist, Russia still benefits – sanctions being lifted, relations restored, joint business ventures, capitalizing on ties in other areas, like Iran’s nuclear program and the threat of bombings, to stay in partnership with Washington everywhere. And whether it lasts long or not – it doesn’t matter. There's already so much piled up that they could keep cashing in through Trump for a long time: sanctions, various restrictions, frozen Russian assets – just imagine how much can be done. That’s the Kremlin’s direct interest," he added.

• Trump said on April 25 that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia for a ceasefire were "going well," but the situation was "very fragile."
• That same day, Zelenskyy said that various peace proposals were under review, and new peace terms had been handed to U.S. President Donald Trump, with Ukraine now waiting for a response. He also mentioned that key meetings were expected in the coming days that should help bring peace to Ukraine.
• On Saturday, April 26, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Donald Trump at Pope Francis’s funeral – their first meeting since the fallout at the White House back in late February.