What initially appeared to be a positive step toward substantive talks between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is now in doubt — an all-too-familiar story.
After the two world leaders spoke on the phone on October 16, plans emerged for a one-on-one meeting in Budapest, Hungary. However, lower-level staffers handling the details hit roadblocks, and the initial optimism began to fade.
### Putin Threatened to Escalate?
Before Trump’s lengthy diplomatic call with Putin, the U.S. president indicated he was considering providing Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles. This move seems to have prompted the Russian leader to reach out to the White House directly.
Yet, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Trump on October 17, possibly expecting an order for those longer-range cruise missiles, he found the offer had been withdrawn. Zelensky expressed his disappointment and shared his perspective on the situation.
According to a *Just the News* commentary:
“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Putin returned to diplomacy and talked to Trump … when there was a possibility that the US would supply Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. But ‘as soon as the pressure eased a little, the Russians began to try to drop diplomacy, postpone the dialogue,’ Zelensky said … in a Telegram post.”
When Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, it became clear that Russia viewed Tomahawks in Kyiv’s possession as an escalation they were unwilling to accept and to which they would have to respond.
The U.S. State Department released a statement emphasizing the importance of ongoing engagements:
> “The Secretary emphasized the importance of upcoming engagements as an opportunity for Moscow and Washington to collaborate on advancing a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war, in line with President Trump’s vision.”
However, despite these talks, any planned meeting between Trump and Putin was shelved. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a more cryptic response:
> “The parties engaged in a constructive discussion focusing on possible specific steps to implement the understandings reached during President Vladimir Putin’s October 16 telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump.”
Unfortunately, these “possible specific steps” did not include the much-anticipated meeting in Budapest.
### The Peace Proposal and Kremlin Rebuke
Trump remains optimistic about the potential for negotiated peace, urging both sides to “lay down their arms and freeze the conflict in place.” Ukrainian President Zelensky welcomed this idea immediately.
However, the Kremlin rebuked the call for peace, as it would mean Kyiv retaining roughly 22% of the Donbas region — an area Russia has failed to occupy after more than 11 years of war, as observed by the *New York Post*.
Despite the Kremlin’s rebuke, Russian forces continue inching forward in fighting to control the contested 22%, but at a tremendous cost. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that, as of October 22, the number of killed and wounded Russian soldiers has surpassed 1,133,000 since the war began 1,335 days ago.
### A Familiar Pattern
We have seen this scenario before: The West threatens to apply increased military or economic pressure on Russia; Putin signals a willingness to engage in peace or ceasefire talks; emissaries meet — only to find the Russians as intransigent as ever.
The Institute for the Study of War’s “Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment” notes:
> “Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated that Russia is unwilling to agree to an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine that does not result in Ukraine’s complete capitulation.”
### Does Trump See Through Russia’s Foot-Dragging?
Interestingly, Trump has not publicly acknowledged Putin’s strategy of foot-dragging. Although the U.S. president has threatened advanced weapons deliveries and secondary sanctions against Russia, he has yet to follow through.
Until stronger actions are taken, the U.S. negotiating position appears stalled.
### The European Union Steps Up
Surprisingly, the European Union is taking a more proactive and forceful approach to underwriting Ukraine’s war costs. According to the Associated Press:
> “They [the EU] also plan to push forward with plans to use billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine’s war efforts, despite some misgivings about the legality and consequences of such a step.”
The United States must avoid continuing to play into Putin’s game.
*The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent those of any affiliated organization.*
https://www.libertynation.com/putin-resorts-to-old-foot-dragging-ploy/