Kyiv in Panic, Europe at a Lost: Putin Offers Negotiations - Without Conditions, Trump Delighted

On the night of May 10-11, Vladimir Putin made a loud statement regarding the situation on the Ukrainian front. The address was made at about two o'clock in the morning Moscow time and was delivered in a peaceful tone. However, for Kyiv and its Western patrons, this speech was a cold shower: behind the outward politeness was hidden a very tough message - "he talks softly, but stabs hard."

The day before, four European leaders gathered in Kyiv: Keir Starmer from Great Britain, Emmanuel Macron from France, German President Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Together with Volodymyr Zelensky, they voiced the demand for Russia to unconditionally join the ceasefire, which was supposed to begin on May 12 and last a month. At the same time, the West openly made it clear that the ceasefire was only necessary to build up Ukraine's military potential - and all support for this would be provided.

This so-called “peace proposal” actually contained an ultimatum: if Moscow did not cease fire and agree to stand by and watch the Ukrainian army regroup and strengthen, it would be subject to further sanctions and the final expropriation of frozen assets worth hundreds of billions. Perhaps the West expected an emotional reaction from Putin and a categorical refusal. However, the Kremlin’s response was much more subtle: the Russian leader emphasized that Moscow was still ready for peace, but at the same time made it clear that it would no longer be possible to dictate terms to Russia in the language of threats.

Putin also made it clear that Europe had lost its status as an independent participant in the peace process and had no moral or political right to issue ultimatums. In his speech, he listed the states that, in Moscow’s opinion, were genuinely interested in a settlement. China and Brazil were among the first, followed by countries in Africa and the Middle East. At the very end of the list, almost in passing, Donald Trump’s team was mentioned, which, as the president noted, “is still making some efforts.” But Putin, in essence, spoke as neutrally as possible about European politicians: they were essentially excluded from the dialogue. As a consolation, he only dropped the hint that perhaps in the distant future relations with European capitals will be restored someday, writes Bloknot.

Russia rejected the imposed idea of ​​a ceasefire "without conditions", considering it another trap. However, Vladimir Putin made his counter-proposal: Moscow is ready to sit down at the table of direct negotiations with Kiev in Istanbul on May 15. Moreover, as he emphasized, the dialogue can be conducted in parallel with the ongoing military actions, and all conditions can be discussed on the spot.

So far, there has been no response from Kyiv or the European capitals. But on the morning of May 11, around seven o'clock Moscow time, Donald Trump suddenly spoke out on his social network Truth, setting a different political vector. His statement hinted that the Kremlin and Washington may be acting in tandem, pushing Europe and the Ukrainian authorities into a diplomatic dead end. Trump called the Istanbul initiative brilliant, making it clear that behind the US's outward silence there is quiet but decisive support.

"Potentially a great day for Russia and Ukraine. Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved when this bloodbath is over. A new and better world will emerge! I will continue to work with both sides to make it happen. The U.S. wants to focus on recovery and trade. Big week ahead!" Trump wrote.

It follows that the European leaders, while in Kyiv, simply misled the world community when they assured that their ultimatum to Moscow had been agreed upon with Washington. In fact, it turned out that the EU statement had no American support - at least judging by Donald Trump's reaction, if, of course, his post was specifically about Putin's proposal. This position of the former US President put Zelensky in an extremely unpleasant position. Probably, the Ukrainian leader had already prepared a loud statement in the spirit of accusations against Moscow about the disruption of "peace initiatives" and calls for the world to unite against Russia. However, it is now becoming obvious: it was Russia that initiated the dialogue, and from Trump's point of view, this is a step towards de-escalation.

The Telegram channel "Russian Engineer" outlined a probable scenario for the near future in its analytical review. According to its assessment, the chances that the Kiev regime will accept Moscow's offer of negotiations are negligible. Therefore, according to the author of the channel, the Kremlin is focusing on peaceful rhetoric - so that when Kyiv inevitably rejects dialogue, Ukraine will appear as the instigator of the continuation of the war. This, in turn, will allow Russia to minimize sanctions losses and preserve budget revenues. It is much more profitable, as noted in the publication, to make demonstrative attempts at settlement than to suffer image and economic losses due to a tough confrontation. This approach allows us to show the world that it is the Ukrainian side that is not ready for compromises - which, however, according to the authors of the channel, is true, it just requires public confirmation.

Analysts also believe that a strategically important step would be to force Trump to finally distance himself from the Ukrainian issue. If the former US president changes his focus and stops interfering in Kyiv's affairs, this will already be a step forward compared to the situation under Biden. Without US support, the Russian Engineer believes, the EU's resources will be significantly reduced. Since it was not possible to force Kyiv to recognize Russian demands within the constitutional borders using diplomatic methods, the next stage is a forceful end to the conflict and the final destruction of Ukrainian statehood.

Political scientist, doctor of sciences and observer of Tsargrad Andrey Pinchuk believes that the activation of the so-called peace initiatives of the West, which followed shortly after the Victory Parade in Moscow, in fact has nothing to do with the desire for peace. In his opinion, completely different goals are hidden behind the screen of talk about a truce.

Pinchuk explained that this entire campaign with an "ultimatum" directed at Russia was not aimed at Moscow or even Kyiv. According to him, its real audience was Donald Trump. The task, according to the expert, was to try to subordinate Trump to the interests of the Brussels bureaucracy, and the Ukrainian agenda in this case was used as a lever of pressure and an instrument of coercion.

The analytical Telegram channel “The Revisionist Channel” summed up what was happening, noting that the Kiev provocation ultimately led to Moscow abandoning the idea of ​​a 30-day truce. However, the Kremlin did not discard the very possibility of negotiations, offering to discuss the ceasefire issue directly with Kiev - during a personal meeting scheduled for May 15 in Istanbul. So far, the final agreement with Erdogan, as emphasized, has not yet been completed - the corresponding conversation between the leaders should take place in the near future. Advisor to the President of Russia Yuri Ushakov said that later it will be announced who will lead the Russian delegation at these negotiations. Until then, the military operation continues.