US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin reportedly discussed the resumption of trade between Russia and the West. According to Ukrainian political scientist Oleg Lisny, the phone call served the Russian dictator’s interests far more than Trump’s, giving the Russian regime valuable time to prepare for a summer military campaign in Ukraine while masquerading behind a memorandum of “peace”.
Lisny, president of the analytical centre Politics, argues that Trump’s business-minded approach to global affairs blinds him to the true nature of Putin’s ambitions. While Trump chases the illusion of Nobel recognition and economic deals, Putin seeks territorial conquest and ideological dominance. “Trump offers what he needs. He wants to earn. Putin knows this and manipulates it expertly,” Lisny said in an interview with Ukrainian media outlet UNN.
Trump’s desire to see himself as a peacemaker masks his inability to influence the Russian dictator. Lisny explained that the former US President’s proposals are not grounded in any legal or geopolitical strategy but stem from personal emotion and self-interest. This weakness, he warns, enables authoritarian regimes like Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran to test the limits of global tolerance and international law.
Despite Trump’s public stance promoting ceasefires and peace talks, Russia has made no progress in honouring a thirty day ceasefire, which Ukraine accepted. “Effectiveness of the conversation is zero,” Lisny noted, underlining that Putin gained time and breathing room, while Ukraine remains vulnerable.
The threat of the United States withdrawing from negotiations, Lisny stressed, should not be mistaken as a political tactic but as another example of Trump’s emotional unpredictability. If the US steps back, the responsibility for resolving the conflict could fall squarely on Europe’s shoulders. Already, European leaders are reportedly trying to persuade Trump to stay engaged in the talks.
There is growing concern that inconsistent American policy could ignite wider global instability. “Trump does not understand that what he is doing now with Putin is enabling him. Unpunished evil becomes bold. That is what we are seeing,” Lisny said. He also warned that Trump’s dreams of international accolades could backfire catastrophically, potentially triggering a third world war instead.
Lisny rejected the legitimacy of the so-called peace memorandum pushed by Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly stated that Ukraine will not declare neutrality nor surrender any territory. Any agreement demanding this would be meaningless, Lisny said, and exists solely to benefit Russia by stalling Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
Putin’s tactic, Lisny believes, is clear: disguise aggression behind the promise of peace to delay sanctions and win time for a summer military escalation. “This is not about peace. It is about buying time. Putin won a tactical advantage. There will be no new US sanctions, I am almost certain,” he said.
Ultimately, Lisny described the current scenario as a geopolitical chess match where Ukraine stands alone on the battlefield with partners, not allies. While Russia fights with support from North Korea and others, Ukraine depends on the continued goodwill and military aid of its Western partners. “We do not have allies. We have partners. It is only the Ukrainian army that guarantees our security,” he concluded.
