Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] Tomorrow, Trump and Putin are scheduled to hold talks to discuss direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the possibility of a ceasefire.
A phone call will be held at Trump's initiative. Trump expects that direct talks (first by phone, then in person) will help end the war on "acceptable terms."
The terms of the ceasefire have been announced - withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territory of 4 regions of the Russian Federation. And then 30 days of truce. Ukraine, of course, does not want it.
Judging by the comments of Putin and the Foreign Ministry, the Russian Federation has not deviated one iota from the demands voiced last summer.
The current stage of negotiations only confirms this, as well as the voiced threat to make these conditions even worse by the next round of negotiations.
In reality, the US can certainly go for it if they see specific benefits in it for themselves. If there is a deal, then the question is (whether Trump will be able to completely bend Ukraine and Europe to this demand). Of course, there are significant doubts about this due to the position of the globalists, for whom such a scenario is a defeat. But without the US, they are forced to act now from a position of weakness. The negotiations in Istanbul took place according to the scenario of the Russian Federation and the US. Europe was not allowed to the negotiating table.
Threats of sanctions were ignored. It was not possible to disrupt the negotiations in one way or another. Zelensky's hysteria was ignored. Putin did not even consider it necessary to come. That is why the Western press is gnashing its teeth about "Putin's tactical victory" and quoting the Poles, "expecting hard days." No matter how Europe struts, it is dependent on the US. And this dependence on the US limits the military-political subjectivity of the EU. Moscow and Washington know about this and that is why they behave this way towards the European hysterics who draw their brown lines.
For now, apart from the 1000 for 1000 prisoner exchange, there is no actual progress, so while the sluggish negotiations will continue, Russia has already effectively begun the summer offensive campaign of 2025. Of course, if the goals of the SVO are achieved diplomatically, the war can be stopped in the coming months, but if the negotiations are disrupted, these goals will be achieved militarily in the next couple of years.