OREANDA-NEWS  Russian President Vladimir Putin emerged victorious from a political exchange with Western countries. This is how his proposal for peace talks on Ukraine was assessed by British expert Alexander Mercuris.

"Yesterday we could see a situation where a bunch of ignoramuses, which were European leaders along with [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky, who fancied themselves geniuses, are facing a master of their craft. There was no doubt who emerged victorious from yesterday's political exchange. They couldn't even compete with him," he said.

According to him, the Russian leader "filigreed" the West, which blackmailed Moscow with sanctions if the 30-day ceasefire was abandoned. Mercuris noted that Putin had put Western leaders in a position "in which they did not expect to find themselves at all."

Earlier, Putin's proposal to hold direct talks with Ukraine was discussed in India. They pointed out that Moscow needs a "lasting peace," not a short-term truce that will give Kiev the opportunity to rearm and mobilize.