Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian leader is ready to meet with newly elected US President Donald Trump.
This was reported by URA-Inform with reference to Espreso.
Political scientist Vadim Denisenko notes that Putin's position is not surprising, although effective negotiations in the current situation are unlikely to be beneficial to him. According to the expert, the Kremlin needs the meeting to demonstrate that it is continuing to conduct a dialogue with it. In addition, Putin can use it to disrupt negotiations on ending the war, shifting responsibility to Ukraine.
However, according to Denisenko, there are factors that could force Putin to end the war. The first of these is Ukraine's official renunciation of its claims to the occupied territories, which would effectively recognize them as part of Russia.
«I think this scenario is unrealistic, at least in the medium term,» Denisenko noted.
Another important point could be economic threats. The political scientist emphasizes that a possible collapse in oil revenues, for example, due to a drop in world oil prices or a blow to the “shadow fleet”, will force Moscow to change its policy.
“This cannot be done in a short period of time, but the desire to do this is already a threat to the Russian Federation,” the expert emphasized.
An equally important factor could be a strategic agreement between the US and China. Although this seems unlikely now, Denisenko emphasizes that Trump's actions are aimed at creating a foundation for dialogue with Beijing.
In addition, a partial lifting of sanctions against Russia could also be an incentive for the Kremlin to stop the war. Thus, economic and political levers remain key instruments of influence on the Russian leadership.
«But in all these scenarios, we have, unfortunately, limited subjectivity. And therefore, two things are very important for us: the situation at the front and a consolidated position in the United States. Simply put, we need to repeat what was done in March 2024, when the joint efforts of various influence groups managed to turn the tide with the arms supplies that were being blocked by the Trumpists,” Denisenko noted, adding that it was realistic to do so.
Recall that it was previously reported that “We need to urgently stop the “SVO”: the former “people's governor” of Donbass called for peace.
