Putin faces crucial decision: accept ceasefire or risk US retaliation

At this moment, we have two intrigues.

The first: will Putin agree to a ceasefire without additional counter conditions?

Agreeing would mean recognizing Trump’s supremacy as a "peacemaker" who positions himself above both Russia and Ukraine. This would not sell well inside Russia: first, because "America is the enemy," and second, because Russia must always be "on equal footing" with America. This is not how Putin envisioned his "Cuban Missile Crisis encore," not at all...

Not agreeing would mean provoking Trump into some kind of actions to increase pressure on Russia. And he does have leverage to apply.

Finally, the ball is in Putin’s court, not ours.

The second intrigue: when Zelenskyy visits the White House again, will Trump put him through another "competency test" in front of the cameras? And if so, will Zelenskyy be smart enough to handle it better this time (meaning: not staying silent, not groveling, but also avoiding a direct public contradiction of Trump’s statements)? Because if not—we will surely "get hit" again.

If this time weren’t so tragic for us, it would be fascinating to watch how interesting it is...

Source

About the author: Oleksii Panych, philosopher, member of the Ukrainian Center of the International PEN Club, blogger.

The editorial team does not necessarily share the opinions expressed by blog authors.