Putin took a risk with Trump: FT reveals what this could mean for negotiations.

Diplomatic struggle between Russia and Ukraine

Alongside the brutal war along the 1000-kilometer front, Russia and Ukraine are engaged in a fierce diplomatic struggle, trying to convince Donald Trump that it is the opposite side that is the real obstacle to peace.

Putin's refusal to participate in negotiations

According to the Financial Times, Putin took a significant risk last week by deliberately stalling negotiations with American diplomats over peace proposals, according to sources familiar with the course of the discussions. Subsequently, the Russian leader refused to attend negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey, which he himself publicly initiated.

Currently, Putin's refusal to participate in negotiations on terms set by other parties has not met with significant resistance - and certainly not enough to force him to make concessions or change the course of the war.

Trump's and Europeans' reaction

The most striking evidence of this was the reaction of U.S. President Donald Trump, who essentially justified the absence of the Russian leader on Thursday and simultaneously questioned the feasibility of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, stating: 'Nothing will happen until we meet with Putin.'

'Putin is doing just enough to convince Trump that he is engaged in seeking peace in Ukraine, while simultaneously putting in maximum effort to ensure that these negotiations yield no results,' noted a senior European diplomat involved in the negotiations between Western capitals.

Russia's stance, which refused to participate in peace negotiations, underscores its unwillingness to resolve the conflict peacefully. The U.S. and European countries are expressing a common position on the necessity of an obligatory ceasefire and the threat of new sanctions if Russia refuses to cooperate. An initiative for constructive negotiations is being expressed, but timely results have yet to be observed.