The Trump-Putin call fails to meet expectations as the Kremlin continues to evade a ceasefire in order to gain additional concessions from the US.

The outcome of the telephone conversation with Putin was far from what the US president had hoped for. The NYT highlights that Putin agreed only to a limited ceasefire but refused a complete end to hostilities. However, if attacks on energy infrastructure from both sides do indeed stop, it would mark the first mutually agreed suspension of attacks in three years.

The White House suggests that Putin is stalling to enhance his advantage on the battlefield.

The Economist also noted that Putin is attempting to give Trump at least something, creating the impression that the Kremlin wants to end the war while simultaneously trying to divide the US and Ukraine while it works to take control of the Ukrainian state. A crucial detail is that Putin seeks to negotiate peace bilaterally with the US, excluding Ukraine and Europe.

The ISW also believes that Russia has not abandoned its primary objectives, which include Ukraine’s neutrality, establishing a pro-Russian government in Kyiv, and weakening the Ukrainian military. Analysts contend that Russia aims to secure new territorial victories before agreeing to a ceasefire and later demanding in negotiations that the entire Zaporizhzhia region be ceded to it.