"The backdrop to all this was that Putin called Trump and asked the U.S. president to mediate — in other words, to persuade Zelenskyy to allow the parade in Moscow to go ahead on May 9. To me, that speaks to Putin's weakness and the footage we saw from Moscow really underlined that," Jonatan Vseviov told Vikerraadio Monday.

He explained that military hardware was absent from the parade because much of it has been destroyed on Ukrainian territory, while the equipment that remains intact was not something Russia wanted to gather in one place.

"But the whole event gave off a withered, tired impression. And I think that symbolically reflects quite well the situation Russia has led itself into under Putin. In my view, there is no longer any real energy coming from there."

Vseviov pointed out that Putin had proposed a ceasefire for May 9, after which Zelenskyy proposed an earlier ceasefire and announced it publicly.

"In my opinion, that was a very skillful move to tear the mask off Putin's false offer, which is what it really was. The bluff was exposed and exposed in the most horrific way possible — during that period, Russia attacked not only Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, but among other things a kindergarten. There could hardly be anything more glaring in exposing the fact that Putin was never genuinely interested in a ceasefire. He was simply interested in holding his parade. And I am not sure there is anyone in the world who cannot see through that."

According to Vseviov, this also reflects Putin's weakness, though tyrants in authoritarian systems cannot afford to appear weak.

"Now Putin has repeatedly been forced to present himself as weak. I think that plays into Ukraine's hands and, ultimately, also into Russia's own downfall. We will see how long they can hold out. A panicked great power can be dangerous to all its neighbors in the short term. But in the bigger picture, it seems increasingly clear to me that it is impossible to restore a 19th-century-style empire in the 21st century."

Vseviov said the question now is how quickly Putin can be persuaded to genuinely change course toward Ukraine and Europe.

"So far, that has not yet happened. And therefore, a just — and certainly not a lasting — peace is still not within reach. But it seems to me that we are moving in the right direction, at least judging by the footage from Moscow."

Asked how long the war in Ukraine could continue, Vseviov replied that the more decisively we act, the shorter it will be. At the same time, he said Ukrainians still face a difficult situation.

"The harsh winter months are behind them and, most importantly, hope has emerged. Hope has grown stronger. You can genuinely sense that. But if wars were predictable, they would never happen because the loser would know they were going to lose and the winner would know they were going to win. There is still a great deal of uncertainty in this war as well, but it seems to me that, at least for now, the trajectory is positive from Ukraine's perspective."

He added that Russia's actions are showing signs of nervousness and, in some ways, even panic and desperation.

"Take that concert in Ivangorod that was projected across the Narva River at us. Is that really what a great power aspiring to become an empire does toward its tiny neighbor? In my view, these things should not be feared because they are ridiculous attempts to confuse and divide us."

According to Vseviov, the current course is the right one, but instead of resting on our laurels, Europe should be doing more and faster.

"That also applies in major policy areas such as European Union enlargement. EU foreign ministers are meeting today and will certainly discuss this issue as well. And we also cannot assume that the decisions which need to be made will somehow make themselves. Now that the Hungarian government has changed, it will no doubt become clear that, in the details, there are still member states for whom one or another policy creates certain problems. So decision-making is not necessarily easy, but thanks to the Hungarian elections, it has become possible."

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