by becoming more hardline

“I believe such attacks will only reinforce his determination to dismantle the Ukrainian state in its current form,” Stanovaya wrote on X. “He will respond by becoming more hardline and less compliant.” At the same time, Russia would like to keep the direct talks with Ukraine going, observers say, because the negotiations allow Moscow to claim that it is seeking peace, a move that helps keep Washington from imposing a new round of sanctions. Anyone who watched Putin speak at a government meeting on June 4 might think Moscow was about to abandon the process after two meetings in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2 สล็อต