Putin In A Corner: How Zelensky Came Back After The White House Debacle

-Analysis-

TURIN — “We are ready for a direct negotiations with Putin.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has once again proven himself the most skilled showrunner in global politics. His challenge to the Kremlin strongman, summoned to Istanbul for a showdown he cannot refuse without appearing weak, added drama to a script that risked falling apart under U.S. President Donald Trump’s improvisations. After a rapid back-and-forth, Zelensky has put the ball squarely in Russia’s court.

For Russian President Vladimir Putin, traveling to Istanbul, for talks he himself had proposed as a way to counter the European coalition of the willing’s truce initiative backed by Washington, would mean bending to a Western ultimatum.

Skipping the meeting under some pretext would signal weakness, according to the street-code logic of Leningrad gangs that the Russian leader often cites as his political compass. It is a dilemma Putin must resolve quickly, and his silence following Zelensky’s challenge shows just how wrongfooted he was.

A remarkable turnaround

It is a remarkable turnaround for a leader whose political survival seemed uncertain just two months ago, after suffering the humiliation of being snubbed at the White House. Zelensky had hit one of the lowest points in recent diplomatic history, yet from that low, broadcast around the globe from the Oval Office, he rebuilt his position and claimed a central role in a coalition without precedent.

His face-to-face with Trump in St. Peter’s Basilica and his walk through Kyiv with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron are in striking contrast to the image of Asian and African autocrats parading with Putin in Red Square. Finally, Zelensky’s bold challenge in Istanbul, were political moves crafted as iconic media moments. And all of it with one viewer in mind: Trump, who had long dreamed of ending the war in one dramatic stroke.

As The Guardian reports, it is likely that the idea of elevating the Istanbul meeting, originally requested by Putin, from a diplomatic gathering to a summit between leaders came only after Trump, in one of his posts, torpedoed the European proposal for an immediate truce, a plan apparently supported by the U.S.

A deft rewrite

With a deft rewrite of the scene, Zelensky shifted his stance twice to stay aligned with Trump. First, back in March, he accepted the idea of an unconditional truce. Now, he has agreed to direct talks with the man still bombing his cities.

Because it is clear that the only reason a truce is even on the table is due to relentless pressure from the U.S. president. Russia’s positions have not changed, including its claims over annexed Ukrainian territories. Putin suggested Istanbul for symbolic reasons, to evoke the 2022 talks that nearly resulted in Ukraine’s capitulation, when Russian tanks loomed at Kyiv’s gates. But much has changed since then.

Paradoxically, this puts Zelensky in a strong position.

The war has become central to Putin’s regime and economy, and ending it without defeating Zelensky could threaten the Kremlin’s hold on power. Ukraine, for its part, cannot afford to surrender. Its survival depends on continued resistance. Europe understands that any truce, or more likely a frozen conflict, would only kick the problem down the road, giving Russia time to regroup for another push westward.

Paradoxically, this puts Zelensky in a strong position. If Putin shows up in Istanbul, talks could begin, even if success is unlikely. That alone would show Trump that Russia, not Ukraine, is blocking peace.

If Putin stays away, Europe may respond with tough new sanctions, perhaps even backed by the United States. If Trump makes good on his threat to abandon the conflict, the war will continue, with the European coalition stepping up and the U.S. limiting its role to supplying weapons, a contribution tied to the deal on Ukrainian mineral resources that Zelensky has just signed. Either way, the bombing of Ukrainian cities is not about to stop.