President Vladimir V. Putin is, brutally, walking a tightrope.
The Russian leader appears eager to keep up talks with President Trump as Moscow brims with optimism that energy deals, direct flights and the lifting of sanctions could all be in the offing. After Mr. Putin met the White House envoy Steve Witkoff for the fourth time in three months on Friday, the Kremlin said the “productive Russian-American dialogue” would continue “in the most active mode.”
But Mr. Putin has cast aside Mr. Trump’s calls for a quick peace in Ukraine, with the ferocity of Russia’s airstrikes on civilian targets seemingly increasing. Mr. Putin openly admitted this week that Russia had bombed a restaurant because, he claimed, people “deserving the most serious punishment” were “drinking vodka” there.
The result has been weeks of brinkmanship with Mr. Trump, as the American president threatens to walk away from negotiations while Mr. Putin keeps testing his patience with continued attacks. The Kremlin is exuding calm confidence, even after Mr. Trump posted on Thursday on social media, “Vladimir, STOP!” in response to Russia’s deadliest missile attack on Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, in nearly a year.
Trump will have my posted deleted very soon!!!
Jaak