'He sees Trump as emotional and susceptible to influence' — Putin not worried about 50-day ceasefire deadline, Guardian reports
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not worried about U.S. President Trump or his 50-day deadline for Russia and Ukraine to reach a ceasefire, the Guardian reported on July 22, citing unnamed Kremlin officials.
"Moscow is disappointed and upset that it didn’t work out with Trump… But whatever expectations Putin might have had for a good relationship with Trump, it was always going to come second to his maximalist goals in Ukraine. For Putin, the invasion of Ukraine is existential," a former high-ranking Kremlin official said.
On July 14, Trump announced the White House will impose "severe tariffs" on Russia unless it agrees to a deal on ending the war in Ukraine within 50 days.
The U.S. leader also announced that Washington will supply Ukraine with new weapons, including Patriot air defense systems, amid intensified Russian missile and drone attacks.
"Putin didn’t go out of his way to humiliate Trump — but he certainly didn’t handle it wisely," the Kremlin official said.
Russia's bombardment of Ukrainian cities following talks between Trump and Putin was a "strategic mistake" that misread Trump, the official told the Guardian, noting that Putin is "obsessed" with not looking weak.
"A lot can happen in 50 days — and Putin knows that. He sees Trump as emotional and susceptible to influence... Moscow will keep making overtures toward Washington. They don’t see this rift as irreversible," a source within Russia’s foreign policy establishment said.
Meanwhile, Putin sees Trump's ultimatum as an opportunity to maximize his goals for Russia's war against Ukraine, those familiar with the Russian leader's thinking told the Guardian.
"In Moscow, there had been hope and anticipation of forging a strong relationship with Trump... But the baseline expectation in Russia has always been tougher US sanctions and a steady flow of weapons to Ukraine," independent Russian political analyst Tatiana Stanovaya said.
Reuters on July 15 reported that Putin remains determined to continue Russia's war against Ukraine until the West agrees to peace on his terms.
Russia continues insisting on its terms, despite Trump's recent threats to impose 100% "secondary tariffs" on Moscow unless it agrees to a peace deal within 50 days.
Trump's 50-day ceasefire deadline was both welcomed and garnered criticism among Ukraine's allies, who believe the deadline is too long.
The EU welcomed Trump's renewed push to bring Russia to the negotiating table, EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas told the Telegraph in an article published July 14, adding that Washington's 50-day timeline is a "long time."
"On one hand, it is very positive that President Trump is taking on a strong stance on Russia... On the other hand, 50 days is a very long time if we see that they are killing innocent civilians," she said.
