Following President Donald Trump’s ultimatum, the burden of proof has shifted entirely to Moscow. The Kremlin must now actively demonstrate a constructive “attitude” on the Ukraine conflict to the satisfaction of the U.S. president.
Passive declarations of peaceful intent will no longer suffice. Trump has made it clear he is looking for a tangible, verifiable action, and has identified a summit between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine as the most convincing proof of a change in attitude.
This puts Russian President Vladimir Putin in the position of having to make the next move. His praise for Trump was a first step, an attempt to set a positive tone and signal a willingness to cooperate.
The next, and most critical, step will be to follow up these words with a concrete commitment to dialogue with Kyiv. Failure to provide this proof within the two-week window could result in the very sanctions Putin is seeking to avoid.