Putin's Peace Plan Pause: Is Russia Stalling for More?

Putin seems to be playing a waiting game with the U. S. peace plan for Ukraine. He's not saying no, but he's not saying yes either. Analysts think he believes he can wait until Ukraine gives in to his demands. Putin's team has been sending mixed signals. They say the U. S. plan could be a starting point, but they haven't talked about it in detail. Meanwhile, Russia keeps fighting and taking more land in Ukraine. Some experts doubt Putin is ready to make a deal. They say he thinks he can win on the battlefield and doesn't need to compromise. Others think he might be waiting to see if the U. S. can push Ukraine to accept his terms. The U. S. has been trying to get a deal done. They've been talking to Russia and Ukraine, and they've even sent an envoy to Moscow. But it's not clear if Russia is serious about making peace. Russia has been making small gains on the battlefield. They've taken some towns and cities, and they've been bombing Ukrainian infrastructure. This makes it harder for Ukraine to fight and for people to live normally. Some people think Putin is just stalling for time. He's been saying that he wants to remove the causes of the war, but that could take months. In the meantime, he keeps fighting and taking more land. Ukraine doesn't trust Putin to keep any peace deal. They want security guarantees from the West and more military aid. They also want to join NATO, but Russia has said it won't allow that. It's not clear if the U. S. is willing to put enough pressure on Russia to get a good deal. Trump has threatened to be tough on Moscow, but he hasn't shown he's willing to back that up. Some experts think the U. S. needs to take the lead in the peace process. They say following Russia's lead won't get a good outcome. But it's not clear if Trump is willing to do that.