Putin has no interest in ending war, prepares for new offensive — expert

He expressed his opinions on Espreso TV.

“What is set to take place today in Istanbul can’t even be called negotiations. It’s a circus, a one-man show staged solely to please Trump, to satisfy his ambitions, ego, and illusions.

Putin orchestrated this event to lift sanctions, or at least to delay the enforcement of restrictions already agreed upon in Kyiv by four major European countries together with Zelenskyy. That phone call to Trump, where he fully supported the five leaders of states and governments, suddenly ended with Trump overplaying his hand after Putin's speech and forcing both Russia and Ukraine to fly to Istanbul for these absurd negotiations,” Romaniuk said.

According to the head of the NGO Ukraine in NATO, Trump expects some sort of outcome, while Putin wants none. He is already preparing for a summer-autumn military campaign.

“On one hand, our military is already stating that this offensive has essentially begun. At the same time, CNN yesterday reported that Russia is merely preparing for a large-scale summer offensive. Under these circumstances, Putin has no interest in ending the war. His war machine is fully geared toward continuing combat operations. He anticipates no pauses — and wants none.

As for negotiations, there is no common ground for agreement. The sides have opposed, utterly incompatible demands that neither will accept, as doing so would mean crossing their own red lines. In such conditions, what’s happening in Istanbul is nothing more than a performance for a single viewer: Trump,” Romaniuk concluded.

• Political scientist and Doctor of Historical Sciences Oleksii Koshel believes that Russians are already ready to make some concessions, as they understand their situation is far from favorable.