Lt Col Daniel Davis: Russia takes Kursk / Putin will NEVER negotiate w/Zelensky

Daniel Davis Deep Dive Merch: Etsy store

The speaker argues that it’s very unlikely Russia would agree to a ceasefire or negotiated settlement along the current lines of conflict in Ukraine. From Russia’s perspective, the West has a history of breaking promises (like with NATO expansion and the Minsk Accords), and any pause now would just let Ukraine and NATO rebuild and rearm, as they did from 2015 to 2022. Russia believes it’s winning on the battlefield and is gaining momentum, especially ahead of Russia’s important May 9th Victory Day celebration.

Putin, having framed the conflict as defeating a "Nazi regime," would look weak if he negotiated now. Meanwhile, Trump wants to end the war quickly, but he's in a tough spot: if he demands a deal and Ukraine refuses, and Russia doesn’t budge, Trump risks looking weak and ineffective. The speaker suggests Trump’s best move is to quickly follow through on his threat to walk away from supporting Ukraine if no agreement is reached — otherwise, he’ll lose control over the situation and allow Putin to set the terms.