After yesterday’s Trump Putin telephone call, a few things are clearer.
Peace in Ukraine is unlikely to be resolved by one conversation, despite White House promises of being at the “ten-yard line of peace”.
Vladimir Putin is refusing to agree an unconditional ceasefire and is instead insisting on his maximalist terms being met before he agrees to end the fighting.
There is a difference between promising to end attacks on energy infrastructure and actually meeting that promise, as the overnight Russian strikes on a rail power system in Ukraine showed.
Donald Trump is ready to cajole Ukraine into backing a 30-day ceasefire across the whole country, but he is as yet not willing to threaten Russia when it fails to do the same.
For a man whom diplomats say is remarkably impatient, Trump is showing substantial patience towards Putin.
Technical negotiations are scheduled to continue but this will still be led by the United States talking bilaterally and separately to Russia and Ukraine, with Europe as a bit part player preparing for the moment if a ceasefire were to be agreed.
Source: CNN
