The West risks losing one of its political trump cards to pressure the Kremlin — expert.

According to Igor Popov, an expert from the analytical center 'United Ukraine', due to the appeal of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the West may lose its political advantage. Russia is trying to gain services from the West without making any concessions. He noted that lifting isolation is one of the objectives of Russian diplomacy, and the visit of the UN Secretary-General to Kazan is also criticized by Ukrainian diplomacy and many Western countries.

'The next steps will be calls and visits. Right now, Putin is not yet ready to appear on international platforms and is likely afraid of the International Criminal Court warrant. Therefore, they will try to hold meetings in third countries. This will cost the West one of its tools to pressure Russia – international isolation,' Popov explained.

The expert also stated that there is a possibility for negotiations on a peaceful resolution of the conflict, but Ukraine must enter them from a position of strength, enhancing its capabilities and resources. The conditions proposed by Russia for peaceful politicians will be unacceptable.