What does Vladimir Putin really want?

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, April 15, 2025, and we wake up with a question echoing in the corridors of European chancelleries and in the oval rooms of transatlantic strategists: what does Vladimir Putin really want?

MOSCOW. After months – indeed, years – of war, destruction, faltering diplomacy, and inflammatory statements, the enigma of the Kremlin still seems shrouded in mist. And yet, something is stirring.

On Monday, several European leaders openly criticized Moscow, condemning the ongoing attacks on Ukraine and accusing Putin of sabotaging peace efforts – this time, surprisingly, those endorsed by Trump. The issue is that Washington is not echoing, but singing a different tune.

The President, speaking alongside the Salvadoran leader Bukele, offered an alternative vision, as is now customary. He criticized Zelenskyy, Biden, and – with an almost affectionate caution – hinted at Putin, suggesting that the only real mistake was not stopping him from acting. Not so much because he was wrong, but because “I had told him not to do it.”

It is not clear whether it is nostalgia, pragmatism, or simple diplomatic narcissism. But what is clear is that in his narrative, Putin is not the monster, but one of the three players in an imperfect triangle of shared guilt.

Perhaps more significant were the words of Steve Witkoff, unofficial envoy and entrepreneur with aspirations of being a global mediator. Returning from a long tête-à-tête in Moscow, he hinted that an agreement is on the table. Peace, according to him, involves five territories, but also much more: security, NATO, protocols, and – as it goes without saying – business.

It’s no surprise that someone in Brussels is already breaking out in a cold sweat. “Commercial opportunities” and “regional stability” are familiar codes for those who remember the times when Moscow was an energy partner rather than an existential enemy.

So, maybe that’s it: Putin wants exactly this. A return to normality. But not the pre-2022 one. The one where the West tolerated him, feared him just enough, and did business with him regardless.

In the meantime, Europe observes, comments, admonishes. But it has little impact. Because while on one hand Putin wants a “peace” that guarantees him what he has taken and what he still aspires to, on the other hand it seems that Washington – at least a part of it – is willing to listen to him. Not because it approves, but because it is tired. Or distracted. Or because it no longer matters who wins, as long as the problem disappears.

We still wonder what Putin wants. But perhaps the most uncomfortable, and most urgent, question is: what do we want?
Peace, of course. But at what price? And with what memory?

Have a nice day.