His comments come days after the US president talked with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the phone where he said that the latter “wants to see people stop dying”. After their supposed phone call,

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that members of U.S. President Donald Trump's team would travel to Ukraine this week, the first such visit at an important diplomatic juncture in the war with Russia.

With its focus on war with its neighbor, Russia has taken its eyes off the ball elsewhere. As a result, its position is much weaker – but Putin remains dangerous.