"Between Putin and Trump, time is money"

Abbas Gallyamov, former speechwriter for Vladimir Putin now exiled in Israel and political analyst, provides insights into whether Putin is ready to end the wars and why Trump places no pressure on Russia.

According to Gallyamov, "Putin still believes he can gain some advantage in the war against Ukraine through military means. That's why he's not moving towards a political settlement. However, at the same time, he faces a serious problem: Donald Trump, who wants the war to end. Falling out with Trump is totally counterproductive for Russia, and Putin cannot afford to do so.

Firstly, because it's no longer 2022 but 2025. His belief in the limitless capabilities of the Russian army has, to say the least, been shaken. Over the last three years, Putin has seen Russian troops not only unable to advance but simply retreating, sometimes even in panic."

The man who wrote Putin's speeches for three years believes that the prospect of new sanctions or increased US arms deliveries to Ukraine strongly frightens Putin.

Gallyamov continues his reasoning: "Putin has found a solution to this dilemma. Putin is buying time from Trump. The phrase 'time is money' in the relationship between Putin and Trump has become a reality. Putin tempts Trump with a variety of lucrative offers in different areas of US-Russian relations, except for Ukraine. It looks something like this: "You give me a pass on Ukraine, and I will make concessions, for example, on Iran, the Middle East more generally, and maybe we can agree regarding China as well."

(MH with AmBar - Source: RBC - Photo: © Unsplash)