Putin Is Stalling
- 8.11.2026, 16:00
The former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine revealed the Kremlin's strategy.
Putin agreed to trilateral talks with Ukraine and the U.S. in Abu Dhabi not to end the war, but to prevent U.S. President Donald Trump from continuing to support Kyiv. Moscow has no intention of changing its demands or making any real concessions, so the upcoming meeting risks ending with an agreement to hold new talks rather than a peace deal, writes John Herbst , senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine , in an article for Atlantic Council.
Since the spring of 2025, Trump has proposed at least six options for ending or freezing hostilities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to each of them, while the Kremlin rejected or sidestepped all proposals.
At the same time, Washington has taken a number of steps in recent weeks to ease the situation for Moscow: it agreed to resume shipments of Russian diesel fuel to the U.S., eased sanctions pressure, and reduced the transfer of intelligence to Ukraine via the Starlink and Starshield satellite systems.
Putin offered nothing in return. Agreeing to the meeting in Abu Dhabi was merely a procedural concession. It is telling that the Russian delegation will once again be led by former Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky, who participated in the fruitless negotiations back in 2022.
Moreover, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has already stated that Moscow does not intend to change its demands. Putin’s adviser Yuri Ushakov has also put forward a condition requiring the former Warsaw Pact countries and the Baltic states to withdraw from NATO.
“The war will not end,” Herbst warns. Washington is accepting symbolic gestures instead of real concessions, and the Kremlin has no reason to change its strategy. The negotiations may end only with the scheduling of the next round.
Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims
You can contact us by the e-mail charter97@gmail.com
