First contacts with Trump administration 'inspire certain hopes,' - Putin

Moscow and Washington appear ready to renew cooperation, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Feb. 27 during a Federal Security Service (FSB) board meeting, commending the Trump administration for its "pragmatism."

Recent high-level meetings between U.S. and Russian officials in Riyadh on Feb. 18 and Istanbul on Feb. 27 have marked a shift in U.S. foreign policy regarding Russia and Ukraine. Speaking as the Russian delegation concluded talks in Turkey, Putin expressed optimism about these renewed contacts, though he claimed that some Western countries seek to disrupt the process and "create instability in the world."

"These forces will try to disrupt or compromise the dialogue that has begun," Putin warned, without providing evidence. "We need to take it into account and use all the means of diplomacy and intelligence services to disrupt such attempts."

Ukraine has been left out of these discussions, raising concerns that the Trump administration may be sidelining Kyiv. While the Istanbul talks reportedly focused on embassy operations, the discussions in Riyadh allegedly included Moscow’s demand for a NATO withdrawal from Eastern Europe as a condition for "normalizing relations." According to the Financial Times, U.S. officials rejected the demand, but uncertainty remains about what concessions President Donald Trump might consider.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasized that Ukraine must be included in any negotiations concerning the war and has called for European allies to be involved. However, Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, stated that while European interests will be considered, they will not be directly involved in negotiations.

Trump decided to extend a series of sanctions against Russia that have been in place since 2014

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the extension of the state of emergency first imposed in 2014 following Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the implementation of related sanctions.

The executive order, published in the U.S. Federal Register on Feb. 28, reaffirms the national emergency declared by then-President Barack Obama on March 6, 2014, under Executive Order 13660. This emergency status, which has been extended multiple times—including on Feb. 21, 2022, after Russia recognized the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics—remains in effect due to ongoing threats posed by Russia’s actions.

Additional U.S. sanctions were introduced in December 2014 and September 2018, further reinforcing measures against Russia.

"The actions and policies addressed in these Executive Orders continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States," Trump's order states.

As a result, the state of emergency has been extended for another year, remaining in effect until at least March 6, 2026.

Russia aims to seize Ukrainian cities through ultimatums, not military force

The Kremlin is attempting to pressure Ukraine into surrendering key cities such as Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Kramatorsk through political negotiations, as it has failed to capture them through military means.

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Moscow continues to declare its intent to seize the entirety of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson oblasts. However, major population centers—Zaporizhzhia (706,000 people), Kherson (275,000), and Kramatorsk (147,000)—remain under Ukrainian control.

ISW analysts warn that if these territories fall under Russian occupation, a severe humanitarian crisis will follow. Russia has previously used brutal tactics in occupied areas, including repression, forced deportations, and efforts to erase Ukrainian identity.

Despite its ambitions, Russia’s military advance has effectively stalled due to high losses in both manpower and equipment. Facing these challenges, the Kremlin is increasingly turning to diplomatic pressure, propaganda, and negotiations in an attempt to secure territorial concessions from Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s recent statements indicate that Moscow seeks to gain what it has failed to achieve on the battlefield through diplomacy. ISW suggests that Russia’s current strategy aims to coerce Ukraine into relinquishing control over these key cities without further military engagement.