Claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a temporary pause in missile strikes on Kyiv are facing growing skepticism after Russian attacks resumed even before the promised truce was due to expire. The week-long halt, announced amid severe winter conditions, was presented by the White House as a humanitarian gesture. Instead, it has reignited questions about Moscow’s intentions — and Washington’s leverage over the Kremlin. In an interview with TVP World, Diane Francis, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, dismissed the pause as a calculated maneuver rather than a genuine step toward de-escalation. “Putin is a sociopath and a ruthless player who has been stringing along Trump and everybody else forever,” Francis said, arguing that Moscow never intended to honor the commitment. “Putin was testing him to see how gullible he is — and he flunked the test.” Francis described the episode as a “public embarrassment” for Trump, noting that renewed Russian strikes quickly undermined the credibility of the announced pause. Despite this, she expressed doubt that the U.S. president would fundamentally alter his approach toward Putin. According to Francis, Moscow’s strategic objectives remain unchanged. “He wants that Donbas piece, and he wants the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant,” she said, calling the occupied facility a “ticking time bomb” for Europe. “He’s not moved an inch.” While trilateral talks involving Ukraine, Russia and the United States continue, Francis warned that Putin is likely to drag out negotiations while pressing for territorial gains, seeking a symbolic victory rather than an end to the war. She also criticized Western enforcement of oil sanctions, arguing that Russian energy exports continue to finance the conflict. “We’ve got to stop the cash flow that is financing the war,” Francis said, adding that tougher measures — including tariffs on buyers of Russian oil — could still alter Moscow’s calculations. On the battlefield, however, she sees little immediate change. “Ukraine is stuck… in a stalemate war that Russia can’t win and they can’t win either,” Francis said, pointing to Kyiv’s growing reliance on drones as one of its key advantages.
