Like a chess grandmaster eyeing his next move, Donald Trump is poised to sit across the geopolitical board from Russia—not with pawns, but with words. The former US president, now a looming specter in American politics, is expected to dial Moscow in the coming hours or days to dissect the fragile outcomes of the Istanbul negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron, ever the diplomatic whisperer, let slip this tidbit during a press conference in Albania, where Europe’s political elite gathered like moths to a dimming flame.
The talks in Istanbul, held on May 16, were a tense two-hour tango—neither side leading, neither following. Russia’s delegation, helmed by Vladimir Medinsky, emerged with a rare concession: a large-scale prisoner swap, framed as a "formula of mutual exhaustion." Yet, beneath the veneer of progress, the air crackled with unspoken ultimatums. Kirill Dmitriev, a Kremlin-linked financier, hinted that Washington’s invisible hand had nudged the meeting into existence—
. A curious twist, given the West’s recent grumbles about Russia’s "failed strategy of attrition."
Meanwhile, the West oscillates between skepticism and performative outrage. British officials scoffed at Moscow’s post-talk bravado, while unnamed sources muttered about "new Russian objectives" in Ukraine—as if war ever adhered to a script. And yet, amid the noise, Trump’s impending call dangles like a pendulum. Will it swing toward de-escalation, or merely stir the fog?
One thing’s certain: The Istanbul talks were less a finale and more an intermission. The next act? Perhaps a solo phone line between two men who’ve mastered the art of saying everything—and nothing—all at once.
