Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
According to the expert, Putin is convinced that he can outsmart Trump long enough to take the victory in Ukraine.
A recent attempt by Washington to steer Moscow and Kyiv toward a settlement has collapsed publicly, raising renewed concerns in Europe about the wider direction of the war in Ukraine.
The televised encounter between Russian President Vladimir Putin and envoys sent by US President Donald Trump appeared to harden positions rather than ease them.
And after five hours of talking, Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son in law, Jared Kushner, left Moscow without any signs of Ukraine getting closer to peace.
Peace hopes fade
Trump dispatched Witkoff and Kushner to explore the possibility of a negotiated end to the conflict.
Instead, Putin used the moment to declare: “Russia does not intend to fight Europe, but if Europe starts we are ready right now.”
The remarks reinforced the Kremlin’s confrontational posture nearly three years after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
Ukraine’s early resistance, backed by the US and European allies, prevented a swift collapse and pushed Russian forces back from Kyiv.
But the front line has since stabilised, leaving both sides facing heavy losses and prolonged economic strain.
Rising European concern
In an exclusive interview with The Express, Professor Anthony Glees of the University of Buckingham said the most striking element of the meeting was Putin’s apparent confidence that he can “outsmart Trump all the way to victory over Ukraine.”
He argued that Trump’s envoys failed to shift the Kremlin’s position and that Putin “in effect spits in Trump’s face, and tells him to go to hell,” signalling he intends to pursue his own objectives regardless of US pressure.
Glees warned that if Europe assumes Trump can deliver a deal, it risks “slipping into a large scale conventional war” should Ukraine be pushed into concessions that embolden Moscow.
Call for NATO readiness
According to Glees, NATO must be ready to deter further Russian escalation, noting that Putin is already engaged in a broader “hybrid” confrontation with the West.
He said the alliance must “walk the walk” by strengthening its posture and preparing for the possibility of a deeper conflict.
Following a meeting of the NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, emphazised that NATO is, and will remain, a defensive alliance, but warned other to think that that makes NATO hesitant.
“We are ready and willing to do what it takes to protect our one billion people and secure our territory,” he said.
Sources: Express, Reuters, AP, NATO public statements
