As is usually the case, Trump has badly overplayed his hand without actually having even a fraction of the leverage he assumes he does. The US is rapidly making themselves utterly irrelevant to the process. Ukraine seems to clearly understand that the only way for a lasting peace is to erode Russia’s warmaking capability permanently. They can continue to fight at this intensity with drones and small territorial exchanges for a long, long time yet, even if the US fully withdraws all support.

Trump going further and actively aiding Russia is a) insane b) not implausible and c) would result in American deaths that he would then have to explain a justification for, in a war that is allegedly none of america’s business anyways. No serious minded person expects Russia to abide by ANY peace deal in the long term, so from Ukraine’s perspective, it makes much more sense to keep fighting. It’s fight for your lasting freedom, or wait for another round of attempted enslavement.

The frantic speed run to try and strong arm Ukraine into an unjust peace is failing. It’s very telling that they’re turning the crazy up to 11, because he is nearly 80 years old, morbidly obese, lives on KFC and insane hatred. And if Russia could do any more than they currently are, they would have already done it. It’s a ridiculous bluff, Ukraine and their European backers have called it. For Europe, the degree of danger is not abstract or a partisan issue to score cheap political points off of. They’re going to give Ukraine what it needs to continue bleeding out Russia, at least long enough for Putin, Trump or both to die off.

Well, the sanctions kicked off when Russia entered, sooo… I dunno why Russia thought they’d be able to leverage their compliance with the ceasefire for anything. Especially when everyone’s already assuming they won’t enact or uphold it.