Security expert Rainer Saks says that the situation in Ukraine has improved somewhat. The US is now closer to Europe. US President Donald Trump has also changed. Now Russian President Vladimir Putin understands that he has no time to manipulate without offering a solution.
The Russian president said he is ready to meet with the presidents of Ukraine and the US. This is a big change, as Russian media said yesterday that this meeting is not serious. Ukraine made a smart move and said it would resolve territorial issues through direct talks with Russia. This gave the US and Europe the freedom to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.
A possible meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky does not yet mean a solution. The solution must be good for Ukraine, not a surrender to Russia. Saks says that after the Alaska and Washington meetings, two big changes have occurred.
The first change is that Europe and the US are now cooperating. This is a loss for Russia. The second change is in the attitude of US President Trump. He seems friendly with Russia, but in reality, the pressure on Russia has increased. Putin now understands that he has no time to manipulate.
Saks says that if US and European cooperation deepens, then Russia's opportunities will decrease. Russia only wins if their troops achieve success on the front. If they cannot advance, they must find a solution or take a break.
Saks believes that Russia will try to achieve success in the near future. If Ukraine's defense holds, then Russia does not have much time to delay. Saks does not believe that Russia has large reserve forces. If they did, they would have already used them.
Russian attacks on Ukrainian residential areas have caused civilian casualties. This has caused the anger of the US president. Russia is trying to be a little more restrained. However, the threat of air strikes is great because Russia wants to show its superiority in the media. Saks says that Putin now has two choices. The first is to continue the war and suffer losses. The second is to find a temporary peace. Putin may hope that in the future he will have a new opportunity to gain control over Ukraine.