PUTIN SPURNS TRUMP'S CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE
Bloomberg
President Vladimir Putin decline Donald Trump's bid for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, agreeing instead to limit attacks on the country's energy infrastructure while demanding that the US and other nations stop the flow of weapons and intelligence to the neighbor his military invaded.
...Trump made a bad negotiation by demonstrating in public his putdown of Zelensky, that may have succeeded in making Zelensky capitulate but gave a strong hand in bargaining power to Russia.
...the ceasefire on energy infrastructure is just a face-saving thing for Trump who would otherwise walked away empty handed.
...while this is beginning of a multi-phase negotiation for an ultimate ceasefire goal, the demands made by Putin is one sided and which EU is unlikely to agree.
...But trust Trump to say to Zelensky that as bad as it can be, Ukraine has no choice but to agree to Putin's demand otherwise Russia would crush them and they would be on their own.
At the end of it, can only see Russia winning (with advantage in time) and Trump claiming a win for himself.
BUT at the expense of new EU animosity towards Trump and US.
Animosity that would result in a decline in economic relations between them.
