The issue of Putin talking to Trump has attracted global attention. The two leaders talked for more than two hours, and there are reports that neither of them wanted to hang up first. Indeed, they are both crafty foxes; neither wants to bear the stigma of being unwilling to cease fire. As far as the current situation is concerned, the pressure on the Putin government is indeed significant: 1. On one hand, after the call, Putin had to make a commitment: he was ready to sign a peace memorandum with the Zelensky government. If previously Putin was stringing along Trump, now he has lost the strategic space and time to continue doing so. Because Trump has realized this and threatened Russia: if the ceasefire does not happen soon, full-scale sanctions will be imposed. At the same time, European sanctions against Russia have reached their peak. 2. On the other hand, Zelensky remains quite tough, stating that Ukrainian forces will not withdraw from their own territories. Thus, things have stalled here: the Ukrainian army cannot win but refuses to withdraw. How can Putin save face in this situation? In this situation, the shrewd Putin began to bring China into play. On May 20th local time, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov said: "The Kremlin will report all the recent contacts between Russia, the United States, and Ukraine to Beijing." He also emphasized: "We Russians have never concealed any facts from the Chinese side. We have always maintained direct communication with the Chinese because they are willing to mediate for peace." Ryabkov's words caused a great stir. Why did he suddenly make such a statement? There are different interpretations among various parties. Some comments believe: "Russia finds itself unable to handle the situation, so it intends to seek help from China and hopes that China will increase its mediation efforts." However, some comments believe: "Russia wants to warn the U.S. and Ukraine: China has been closely watching this matter." Of course, others think: "Russia may hope that China can help make a decision: whether to continue fighting or seek peace now." I personally believe that the question of whether to fight or make peace still depends on Putin's own decision. But we can be certain of one thing: during times of tense situations, both sides of the conflict have high expectations for China. However, while the Russian side openly informs China of the situation, even if they hope for China to mediate, they do so transparently. The Zelensky government, however, uses underhanded tactics when hoping to involve China. A few days ago, multiple Ukrainian media outlets (including official media) spread rumors claiming: "China supports the U.S. and Ukraine's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire plan." Later, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs directly clarified: China supports a lasting ceasefire that addresses the root cause of the problem. For such malicious hype by the Ukrainian side, we really don't know what to say to them. Next, with Trump's increasing pressure on Russia, the war situation will likely fall into one of two scenarios: 1. Putin really agrees to a ceasefire, and then negotiations proceed while fighting continues, alternating between fighting and halting. 2. If pushed too far by Trump, Putin refuses to back down, Trump withdraws from negotiations, and imposes comprehensive sanctions on Russia, prolonging the war significantly. In either of these two scenarios, it is unlikely that the war will stop anytime soon. As we have said before: if the root cause of the Ukrainian crisis is not properly resolved, even if it stops now, Ukraine will find it hard to achieve long-term peace. A sigh of regret! Original article: [https://www.toutiao.com/article/7506711335007420943/](https://www.toutiao.com/article/7506711335007420943/) Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's views. Please express your opinions using the 'Like/Dislike' buttons below.