Zero hour: situation nears its breaking point

It is clear that the "breakthrough" refers to steps from the Russian side. The patience of Trump's team has been running thin for quite some time now. Everyone has realized that Putin is deceiving them, except for Vitkoff and Trump himself, because he is very reluctant to part with his ideas. However, it seems even they no longer see any chances for success in this story.

However, the situation will not become clear before May 9. Putin, a notorious Soviet enthusiast, sees the 80th anniversary of "Victory" as a sacred event. If peace negotiations over Ukraine fail before this date, many smaller politicians who wanted to attend the parade will certainly reconsider their trip to Moscow and future relations with Trump. Moreover, we could spoil the celebration with additional operations that could block the success of the negotiations.

"Therefore, it is likely that Putin will start playing for a conditional ceasefire next week to stretch things out until May 9, and then restart anew."

There's another story that hasn’t been widely discussed here, but it’s directly related to the attempts to reach a peace deal — Iran. Early in his talks with Putin, Trump requested his help in maintaining the nuclear deal with Iran, and since he stopped Israel from striking Iran's nuclear sites, he likely believed Putin. However, a few weeks ago, right before the start of US-Iran talks, the State Duma ratified the strategic partnership agreement with Russia signed in January. This was a significant move, as it strengthened Iran's negotiating position with Russia.

Trump, desperately searching for his victorious wins, may begin to grow furious with Putin. Failure in both Ukraine and Iran would prove that he was just "played" and he doesn’t like being in that position. That’s why zero hour is approaching, after which I expect to see a new Trump—one for whom Putin will be an enemy.

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About the author: Viktor Andrusiv, political and public figure, analyst, and columnist.

The editorial team does not always share the views expressed by the authors of blogs.