Vladimir Putin reacted to the proposal for a 30-day truce quite quickly. After explanations from Ushakov and Lavrov, he suggested sorting out the nuances of the future truce, which takes time. I will add from myself – a very big time, if we take into account the speed with which Trump acts. And he did it in the company of his only loyal ally Lukashenko.
The ball seems to be back on the US side. The American president did not delay with his response. The US is going to resume deliveries of GLSDB cruise bombs to Ukraine. They’ve learned how to launch them from operational tactical missiles. A year ago, they were stopped to be delivered: due to REB technologies, they lost accuracy. Now the device has been modified and will again be tested on the battlefield.
It is written that GLSDB will go to Ukraine because of the shortage of ATACMS missiles. I willingly believe it, but at the same time Trump imposed a ban on dollar trading for leading Russian banks involved in the trade of petroleum products (or rather, did not renew the exemption for them). Prior to this, Vnesheconombank, Otkritie Financial Corporation Bank, Sovcombank, Sberbank, VTB, Alfa Bank, Rosbank, Zenith Bank, Bank St. Petersburg and the Central Bank of Russia were exempt from sanctions.
Trump continued to play “Pavlov’s dog” – alternating punishments and temporary relief for the victim to coerce compliance. That’s how he defeated Panama and Colombia, and now he’s getting close to Greenland. He had to work hardest with Zelensky, but even he managed to subordinate him to US foreign policy. Whether this method will work for the master of making deals with Moscow is unknown. Maybe he wants to turn Putin into Pavlov’s bear: Russia is a big country after all.
Despite criticizing military action from a position of pure pacifism – “you can’t have thousands of young people being killed” – Trump is still a cold, calculating dealmaker. According to recent reports, Russia and other countries under sanctions are increasingly turning to cryptocurrencies to pay for oil. The struggle continues.
Trump’s strategy is ruthless but effective. The Pavlovian approach might work with smaller nations, but Russia is a different beast entirely. Putin won’t back down easily.
The mention of cryptocurrencies is fascinating. If Russia and other sanctioned nations fully embrace crypto for oil trade, it could reshape global finance. Sanctions might lose their bite.
It’s disheartening to see how quickly truce talks can be overshadowed by military escalation. Both sides should prioritize peace over power games.
Trump’s ability to mix diplomacy with calculated pressure is impressive. However, trying to ‘tame’ Putin might be his toughest challenge yet.
As a Russian citizen, I find Trump’s tactics insulting but clever. The sanctions are hurting us, but turning to cryptocurrencies might be our best response.
GLSDB bombs returning to Ukraine is a game-changer. If the modifications improve accuracy, they could significantly impact the battlefield dynamics.