The Lavrov-Rubio meeting is Putin’s last chance before the U.S. moves ahead with sanctions against Russia. So far, Putin has managed to fool Trump and make it look like the Kremlin is interested in peace. But Trump, as he says, is now disappointed in Putin and ready to back sanctions against Russia, and a bill on that is already being discussed in Congress.Right now, the White House and Congress are holding direct talks on what these sanctions will look like, and Putin clearly wants Trump to believe he’s still interested in diplomacy, and Lavrov is even offering him “specific proposals” on the matter. That’s why Lavrov met with Rubio to spin some Kremlin story about peace.I don’t think Putin will fully succeed in pulling this off. But I do think that after the Kremlin’s move, Trump will push even harder for Congress to let him have the final say on how sanctions are implemented.After all, if Putin responds to Trump’s threats and “disappointment,” then maybe Trump will still be able to reclaim the role of main peacemaker in the Russia–Ukraine war.Still, Trump’s approach to Russia won’t be as flattering as it was just a month ago. Putin no longer gives Trump a sense of victory or power, and Trump doesn’t like that one bit.SourceAbout the author. Serhiy Taran, political scientistThe editorial team does not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.