**Russia Tries to Influence Western Decision-Making on Ukraine**
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that Russia is working hard to make Western countries think about negotiating a peace deal with Ukraine.
This effort comes as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time in over a year. During the call, Scholz asked Russia to leave Ukraine and pushed for serious talks between the two countries. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not happy with this move, calling it a “Pandora’s box” that could weaken efforts to isolate Putin and prolong the war.
The timing of this phone call is also interesting because Donald Trump has just been re-elected as US president. This has raised concerns among European leaders about potential changes in US support for Ukraine. Trump has previously expressed skepticism about giving money to Ukraine and suggested he could quickly broker a peace deal.
Putin repeated some old tricks during the call, trying to convince Western countries that Ukraine should make concessions and agree to early peace talks. The Kremlin still wants complete control over Ukraine, according to ISW.
Russia is likely using uncertainty about future US policy on Ukraine to try to influence European allies and get them to make premature concessions. This is not a new tactic – senior Russian officials have been using communications with Western officials to spread their message and pressure the West into making concessions since 2022.
**Related:**
Read More @ euromaidanpress.com