Witkoff met with Putin. He talked about the prerequisites for peace, prospects for economic cooperation, and called the Russian dictator a “humanist.”
And in the evening, Russia again launched ballistic missiles at Ukraine.
There can be long debates about whether Americans understand Putin correctly. But what is much more important: what will make him stop the war?
So far, Russia is getting negotiations, prospects of trade, and discussions about easing sanctions. And Ukraine is receiving proposals to limit strikes on Russian oil refineries.
All this without confirmed readiness from Moscow for mutual concessions.
Meanwhile, other news: the work of critically important satellite communication for the front, according to media reports, could have been limited by one private owner. Without an appropriate decision from the American authorities. So our defense capability depends not only on the decisions of allies but sometimes also on decisions of people who do not bear political responsibility to Ukraine at all.
The third news – budget. “European Solidarity” proposes to increase funding for the Armed Forces of Ukraine by 515 billion hryvnias, review the expenditures of ministries, and protect community budgets.
This is the subject of concrete budgetary discussion: which expenditures to cut, where to find funds, how quickly to deliver them to combat units.
But such a discussion is much closer to real peace than another optimistic statement after meeting with Putin.
After all, a negotiating position is not made of press releases. It is made of missiles for air defense. Domestic weapons production. Stable communications. Trained military. Working energy. Money in combat brigades.
And diplomacy that can work simultaneously with the White House, Congress, Europe, and our neighbors instead of constantly saving relations after another crisis.
Even anti-corruption investigations are not a side topic here. Because a system busy with embezzling resources and building a “dynasty” has less strength for war.
We need a coordinated program to strengthen the state: defense, fair mobilization, energy protection, financial discipline, institutional diplomacy. And political responsibility for its implementation.
Peace begins not when Putin agrees to talk.
But when continuing the war becomes more costly for him than stopping it.
And this is what Ukraine needs to work on every day. Regardless of what the Kremlin promised to the next American negotiator today.
Photo: Occupiers’ media
