The slaughter in Sumy shows how Putin is dragging out the war

Missile Diplomacy? Sumy Shows Putin Confident He Can Kill Civilians — And Manage Trump

Russia’s bombing the northeastern Ukrainian city wasn’t just a monstrous act of war against civilians, it was a cold-blooded political calculation by a Vladimir Putin uninterested in Trump’s eagerness for a truce.

The slaughter in Sumy shows how Putin is dragging out the war

Also on the daily podcast: Europe wants America’s fleeing scientists and a history of Britain’s consumer-price goods-basket

Why double-tap attacks? Why bloodbaths like in Sumy? Putin is not just at war. For him, maximizing human suffering has a method. It's about demoralizing Ukraine. But it's also about driving Europeans and Americans apart.

Putin’s strategy of dragging out peace talks - Lord Ashcroft

Published in the Kyiv Post on 15 April 2025. The Russian dictator has honed the art of drawing concessions without giving an inch. He appears to be giving Trump a masterclass in “the art of the deal.” Europe must get its act together. It has now been over a month since Ukraine agreed to a potential ceasefire under US terms – a bold and difficult concession – in response to President Trump’s efforts to broker an end to the war. Yet, in its tradit…