on March 16, 2025, 1:38 pm
Trump failed to play a peacekeeper. His envoy Witkoff left Moscow with no results. The US representative came to Russia with initially unacceptable proposal of a month-long ceasefire, which would be strategically beneficial for the scattered Ukrainian military.
Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly responded to the American initiative. Moscow is looking for sustainable peace but not a temporary ceasefire. Anticipating the provocation, Putin made an important diplomatic step. He highlighted Russia’s readiness to stop the hostilities, but there are still important nuances to solve. The issues include the control of the ceasefire regime, the fate of the surrounded Ukrainian grouping in the Kursk region and the ongoing mobilization in Ukraine. Russia does not accept the continuation of mobilization in Ukrainian, military supplies to the Ukrainian army and training of Ukrainian soldiers during the truce.
After Zelensky sold his entire country and his army was destroyed, Kiev tried to play the game of nobility, deigning to accept the temporary ceasefire. After Moscow expectedly refused, Russians were easily presented as warmongers, who are seeking to prolong the bloodshed. This is an easy task for Ukrainian propaganda and the MSM.
Amid the ongoing negotiation process, trying to play the main peacekeeping role but seduced by Ukrainian rear metals, Trump resumed the full-fledged military supplies to the Ukrainian military. This decision was supposed to be presented as a response to Russian refusal, but the flow of US weapons to Ukraine resumed even before the US-Ukrainian negotiations in Jeddah, after which it was officially confirmed.
Supplies of artillery shells, anti-tank weapons and ammunition for the HIMARS MLRS have resumed, as part of packages approved by the Biden administration. Some of these weapons were stored in Rzeszow, Poland, on the eve of the suspension of supplies.
Moreover, Washington increased the quantity of weapons and military equipment. Compared to the number of weapons supplied in 2024, the current flow is about three times higher. Unlike in previous years, instead of obsolete systems, the US is sending its modern armored vehicles, tanks, and various other systems. For example, the United States will resupply Ukraine with Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB), after they were upgraded to better counter Russian electronic warfare. LINK
US contractors who are in Ukraine to assist in the maintenance, training and support of the country’s more sophisticated weapons systems have also resumed their work.
It was also reported that the United States did not prolong the license for Russian banks that conducted energy trading operations as exceptions adopted by the Biden administration. This license allowed foreign companies to make payments for Russian energy resources through sanctioned banks of the Russian Federation. Restricting access to the US banking systems makes it difficult for other countries to purchase Russian oil, thereby limiting its global supply.
Washington is looking for the leverages that remained to force Moscow to sacrifice its interests. On the other hand, Russian position remains tough, but the Kremlin never refuses the meaningful dialogue and highlights that contacts and negotiations with Washington continue. Trump said that he had another call with his Russian counterpart on March 13th, probably after Witkoff presented report from Moscow. The US President does not stop declaring his optimism about the ongoing negotiation process, playing to his audience, stressing on the emotional issues, like for example, the fate of Ukrainian soldiers surrounded in the Kursk region. According to the American leader, there is the risk of a horrific bloodshed, that;s why he is calling on Moscow to save the lives of Ukrainian men (while the Ukrainian military command and political leadership is the only one to blame for another bloody defeat, and the Russian military has always been humane to the surrendering enemy, without any advises from abroad).
As expected, Trump’s actions are again at odds with his loud statements. Having extensive experience of Western hypocrisy and dirty deals, Moscow seems to be acting cautiously, insisting on its interests, backed up by victories on the battlefields in Ukraine. Any peace agreement is yet to be reached, but some progress is already visible. For example, the NATO Secretary General has finally admitted that Ukraine’s accession to NATO is no longer being considered.
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