On May 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing up the strong perception that Russia is gaining the upper hand in the war in Ukraine ahead of a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Putin is confident that he can gain full control of four eastern Ukrainian regions (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson) within the year. This means that Putin is unlikely to offer any meaningful concessions to Trump.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire for a quick end to the crisis in Ukraine, saying that a breakthrough could be achieved through direct talks with Putin.
There is growing anxiety in Ukraine and key European countries that Trump’s rush to a ceasefire or peace deal could lead to adverse consequences, such as Ukraine ceding more territory.
