Russian President Vladimir Putin meets in Moscow, Russia, on July 20, 2026, in this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik. (Alexander Kazakov / Pool / AFP / Getty Images)Carl BildtFormer prime minister and foreign minister of SwedenIf Russian President Vladimir Putin were to make a clear-headed assessment of the state of his war with Ukraine, he would seek a ceasefire. But his head apparently is not clear, because all signs point to him pursuing some kind of escalation. If he does indeed embark on such a course, he will make the situation worse for everyone, but primarily for himself.Since his August 2025 meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Putin has been seeking to persuade the United States to force Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into a deal that would leave Russia in control of the areas it has already stolen — a little less than 20% of Ukraine's territory — as well as handing over the sliver of the Donetsk Oblast that Ukraine still holds.It is worth remembering that prior to the Anchorage meeting, Trump had the support of both Ukraine and the Europeans in seeking an immediate ceasefire. But after talking to Putin, he suddenly abandoned his pursuit of a ceasefire and instead accepted Putin's demand for Donetsk. The Europeans naturally rushed to shield Zelensky from the pressure that Putin and Trump would try to apply on him, and political talks to end the fighting stalled. It was Trump —suckered once again by Putin — who prolonged the war.