Trump believed that Russia was ready to withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in exchange for the rest of the Donetsk region (in Trump’s logic, this would be a “fair trade” for peace).Meanwhile, Putin believed that the U.S. agreed he would get the Donetsk region in exchange for a promise not to occupy the rest of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions (in Putin’s logic, this meant Ukraine would hand over Donetsk for free in exchange for an empty promise).As a result, each side thought they had bent the other, while in reality, both repeated positions they had officially held months ago.Now, each side will feel “tricked.” And neither has anything to bring to Budapest.Overall, this illustrates the total chaos in global politics when ultra-important negotiations for world security are conducted at such a level.Here I could write, “cut from the same cloth,” but I won’t, because one participant is our greatest ally and the other is the greatest enemy.SourceAbout the author. Serhii Taran, political analyst.The editorial team does not always share the opinions expressed by blog or column authors.