Is Putin ready to negotiate? Lessons from those who “negotiated” with Russia

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Washington last Wednesday after a dangerous journey planned to the millimeter and kept secret until its completion, speculation immediately began: what would be Zelensky’s lightning visit to the American capital, in the midst of a war, understandable to Moscow? As a provocation capable of escalating the conflict? And what now explains the fact that Putin publicly declared that he was “ready for negotiations”? For many in the West, Putin has no real intention of opening up to a negotiated solution: he is simply trying to blame Kyiv for a war that is not ending and is already very poorly visible in Russia itself.

Zelensky’s risky and secret journey began a few days ago. A trip to the USA is a sign of trust in the military and a slap of a white glove in Russia

Zelensky spent less than a day on American soil, but managed to have a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden, a speech in Congress and, most importantly, another generous military aid from Washington: a $1.8 billion package that included a sophisticated Patriot air defense system and various other military equipment, which joined the previously agreed $45 billion package.