Vladimir Putin’s call for a ceasefire in Ukraine, broadcast through Kremlin briefings to Reuters, should be treated with caution.
Its real aim may be to fragment European support for Ukraine ahead of a peace conference next month in Switzerland.
Ukraine’s defence against Russia has lasted for more than two years and interest and patience is wearing thin in some European countries.
Putin is a master at spotting weakness and exploiting it. If he can sow more doubt into the minds of European leaders and populations, Putin knows that he will weaken Ukraine.
The Russian leader has regularly tried to pose as a peacenik since he launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, accusing Volodymyr Zelensky and Nato of forcing war on him.
But he also knows that the conditions he lays out for peace negotiations are unacceptable to the US, Ukraine’s main backer, and will be ignored.
Underpinning Putin’s offers of peace talks are tactics designed to fragment European support for Kyiv.