He shared this on his blog.
“If there were already some negotiations underway, say, at a medium level, then Putin wouldn't need to speak for about 10 minutes about what he wants, how he envisions it, and what he proposes to Trump while riding in a car with a correspondent. Why? Well, in this way, he personally sends a signal, and now it's your turn,” explains Vadim Karasev.
In general, he notes, Putin is not in a hurry to engage in peace talks regarding the end of the Russian-Ukrainian war, as it is not advantageous for him. After all, the expert points out, stopping the war means halting it at the front lines, on the ground, while the Russian army is on the offensive.
“From Putin's perspective, there should be an agreement on the post-war arrangement of Ukraine. Trump did not sign up for this; he hasn't mentioned it, and it’s unclear whether he will agree to it or not because this is a somewhat different deal. This is not the deal he was counting on,” emphasizes Vadim Karasev.
According to the expert, Trump wanted to act as an honest broker, mediator, or arbitrator in these negotiations. He aimed to bring Putin and Zelensky to the same table to resolve everything in exchange for lifting sanctions on Russia and assisting Ukraine; if not, there would be even harsher sanctions on Russia and no aid for Ukraine. However, Putin, he claims, wants to speak not with Zelensky but with Trump, and not just about stopping the war, but about the political settlement of Ukraine.
As reported by Znai.ua, Sheitelman stated that it is not Russia but Ukraine that has become an energy superpower.
Znai.ua also wrote about how Bortnik explained how Ukraine will live after the war: western capital, transit, and the return of citizens.