This view was expressed on Espreso TV by American diplomat John Herbst, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and now Director of the Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council.“Putin believes he can win this war. He believes he can outmaneuver the United States and Ukraine’s European partners. He believes that eventually the West will grow tired of supporting Ukraine, and that he can therefore achieve victory on the battlefield.That is why it is important, if Trump wants to establish a durable peace, to demonstrate clearly and decisively within the next 10 or 12 days that Putin cannot win on the battlefield. The United States is not going to abandon Ukraine. The West is not going to abandon Ukraine. And the economic cost to Russia of continuing this aggression will be overwhelming,” Herbst said.The diplomat stressed that Donald Trump’s administration is already working to strengthen NATO’s defense in the face of the Russian threat, as the U.S. president seeks a lasting peace in Europe.“I cannot say for sure what Trump will do. But if he wants a lasting peace, he must convince Putin that the era of weak Western policies, which began with Russia’s war on Georgia in 2008 and continued when Russia seized Crimea in 2014, is over.Trump can do that by announcing new weapons deliveries to Ukraine, paid for by European partners, as he has demanded. He can impose punishing sanctions on the Russian economy, including sanctions targeting countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas. He can take further steps to reinforce NATO in the face of the security threat posed by Russia,” Herbst explained.According to Herbst, tougher sanctions against Russia, supplies of modern weaponry to Ukraine, and decisive U.S. actions in Europe could force Putin to reconsider his aggressive plans and stop the war.“Ten days ago, the United States deployed American nuclear weapons to Great Britain. Nearly two weeks ago, General Donahue, who commands U.S. Army forces in Europe, said that NATO could quickly and easily take Kaliningrad from Russia in the event of a confrontation.These are signs of growing American assertiveness in response to Kremlin aggression. If we continue such policies, impose heavy sanctions on Russia and its allies, and provide Ukraine with weapons that make it nearly impossible for Russia to seize more territory while enabling Ukraine to reclaim land, Putin will see that he is facing a determined West and a committed United States.Together with Ukraine, this would force Putin to negotiate in good faith. That is what Trump should aim to achieve.There is a good chance this will happen, but it is not certain,” the diplomat concluded.