ABC News Daily Is Trump backing Putin’s plan for 'peace'?
Aug 18, 2025
In this insightful discussion, Dr. Matthew Sussex, a visiting fellow at the Centre for European Studies at ANU and a noted Russia expert, analyzes the implications of the recent Trump-Putin meeting. He dives into Putin's strategic aims and how Trump's actions may inadvertently bolster those goals. The conversation also covers the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Ukraine's resilient military response, and the effects of their controversial alliance on U.S. foreign policy and NATO security.
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Putin Gained Diplomatic Prestige
- Vladimir Putin emerged from the summit treated as an equal and received significant diplomatic prestige.
- Matthew Sussex says Trump shifted the burden onto Ukraine and Europe to accept Russian terms for ending the war.
Delay As A War Strategy
- Putin aims to delay a ceasefire to keep advancing in Ukraine using sustained manpower and attrition tactics.
- Sussex argues Putin believes he can outlast opponents and pressure them to negotiate on Russian terms.
Restoring A Buffer Zone
- Putin seeks a sphere of influence with friendly buffer states to restore Russian great-power status.
- Sussex links this aim to post-Soviet security thinking and Putin's vision of Russia as a regional hegemon.