Forty minutes. That’s how long talks between Ukraine and Russia lasted on July 23 in Istanbul. This was enough time to announce a prisoner exchange, but nothing more. There was no progress on achieving a stable cease-fire, and both negotiating teams realized quickly that there was no reason to prolong the talks.
This outcome was no surprise. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said before the talks that the two sides remained far apart. Putin still thinks that he can outlast the United States and Europe, whose support for Ukraine remains crucial, and win the war on the battlefield. He has no interest in the cease-fire that US President Donald Trump continues to seek.
But the real story in recent days has been the growing evidence that Putin is making a serious miscalculation regarding Trump’s policy and the staying power of the West.
Putin may be miscalculating Trump’s resolve on Ukraine – Atlantic Council
