1. The U.S. is trying to accelerate the negotiation processes. Their logic is simple—freeze the conflict now under Trump's guarantees.2. The main opponents of this approach are in Europe, which is worried about the lack of security guarantees for itself (Trump's word is not very reassuring to them). From the European perspective, the current negotiations are about their own security guarantees.3. At the same time, we are catastrophically financially dependent on Europe: no European money means nothing. And in this respect, our negotiations are part of the EU's negotiations, where we are very limited, especially amid a corruption scandal and a lack of funds as of March 1, 2026. We became part of these negotiations immediately after Trump's inauguration. But a year ago, our positions were much stronger.4. China is waiting. Why? Because even if peace comes tomorrow, the EU and Ukraine will need it. The model of economic coexistence that the U.S. is imposing cannot be sustainable because there are neither security guarantees nor economic profits. On the other hand, China does not seem to believe in quick solutions: for now, neither Putin nor the EU is ready for them.5. Despite all this, it seems we have entered a short window of opportunity for these same quick decisions. And here, the ball is in Putin's court. The U.S. is once again ready to offer him territories and a partial return to world politics (gradual lifting of political and economic sanctions). Whether this will be enough for Putin, who dreams of a third pole in the world, is unclear. Especially considering that the EU holds a controlling stake in the lifting of sanctions.SourceAbout the author: Vadym Denysenko, political scientist.The editors do not always share the opinions expressed by the authors of the blogs.