President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that Ukraine and its allies are very close to the moment when Russia can be forced to end or at least halt the war, but this would require the United States to impose tough sanctions on Russia.
That is when the role of the US really comes in. Putin eyes the nuclear button and Americans have to go “sit down, you’re not doing anything”. But Trump will go “let’s talk”.
For Putin, it’s a matter of political survival.
I’m going to go with ‘survival’ survival for Putin.
Those two are the same for him at this point
The Russian wartime economy would, and will, utterly collapse.
That is when the role of the US really comes in. Putin eyes the nuclear button and Americans have to go “sit down, you’re not doing anything”. But Trump will go “let’s talk”.