(Transcript of the editorial from the “Ce-i în Gușă, și-n căpușă!” show on GOLD FM)
Author: Cozmin Gușă
At the end of last week, on a small island near St. Petersburg, in the courtyard of a famous Russian monastery called Valaam, on a wooden bench under the shade of a tree and in the presence of both journalists and Orthodox monks, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko appeared before the world. They were dressed respectfully but casually, in shirts, and began chatting in front of the press and the monks while being recorded by TV cameras.
To make the moment even more theatrical, at one point, Lukashenko’s little dog, a white, fluffy pup, climbed up calmly on the bench and sat next to the Belarusian leader throughout the press conference. The dog was quite adorable.
Now let me give you a summary of the discussion in front of the press, who were attentive and asked questions, this recap will clarify a lot for you. First of all, Putin announced that he is, of course, open to negotiations with Ukraine, the United States, and anyone else willing to participate, but not in public, as he doesn’t want to put on a show during wartime peace talks.
He hinted that a very important topic in such negotiations will be the independence of the Orthodox Church and Orthodoxy in Ukraine. That’s one of the reasons he gave this press statement from the Valaam Monastery courtyard, claiming that this spiritually charged space was fitting for messages of a humanistic nature.
Lukashenko was much harsher. He said he doesn’t care about Western sanctions, because from his point of view, the Euro-Atlantic sanctions have created new opportunities for countries to reorient their cross-border business. He said the sanctions had actually helped him, and that Belarus’s economy is now even stronger than before the war.
According to him, when one door closes—referring to the Western one—many others and many new opportunities open. Lukashenko advised Donald Trump to get involved wisely in these negotiations if he truly wants peace. He even conveyed this message through mutual friends in the U.S., telling Trump that if he only wants to negotiate with Putin, that’s fine, but he should put effort into preparing those negotiations. Then, quoting him directly: “we can even meet on the Moon, and Macron, Starmer, and any other Western leader can come too.”
Lukashenko’s big announcement was that the famous Oreshnik missiles, as well as many other Russian military capabilities, will be present in Belarus by the end of this year. A very important detail, including the infrastructure to manufacture these missiles.
Putin, for his part, said Ukrainian leaders are badly informed about what’s happening on the front, where Russia is advancing every day and hasn’t taken a single step back in recent months. He declared he won’t accept any ultimatums from the European Union but emphasized that Russia is very interested in Europe because America’s strategy is to destroy Europe.
Putin stated that he would like to impose a protection plan for Europe, one that Russia would support and participate in. He quoted a famous phrase: “The European Union is an economic giant but a political dwarf,” then added that, in reality, the EU no longer has any sovereignty. Without political sovereignty, economic collapse will come quickly.
Regarding Donald Trump, Putin said he understands the American leader’s agitation but that Trump belongs to the category of disillusioned figures with unrealistic expectations.
I have three conclusions, friends:
Putin scores a major PR victory. He appears calm and calculated against the backdrop of chaos and scandals in the U.S. and EU. And through Lukashenko’s presence, he demonstrates real solidarity with Russian plans from countries in the war zone’s periphery. Belarus, in particular, is not only being armed accordingly but is also being equipped with infrastructure to produce weapons.
He puts the Oreshnik missiles on the negotiation table. These are described as unstoppable and capable of hitting any NATO state in Europe within minutes. This sends a clear message that he is not intimidated by threats. Even more crucial: he revealed that mass production of the Oreshnik missiles began long ago, showing that Russia has no military resource issues if an all-out war were to unfold.
Putin criticizes the EU’s incompetent leadership. He blames them for letting the Union be dismantled by U.S. interests and for tolerating Ukraine’s endemic corruption. Fascinatingly, Putin offers himself as a partner to Europe for a joint strategy with Russia to escape the greedy clutches of “Uncle Sam.”
Clearly, these messages from Putin were a response to Trump’s shortened ultimatum regarding peace in Ukraine. Putin essentially told Trump that he is ignoring the American threat—but remains ready for real negotiations, albeit still under Russia’s initial terms.
Now it’s Trump’s turn to make a move. Yet Trump has been silent for three days, since Putin repositioned the negotiation framework, and the American president’s deadline expires this Friday.
I foresee that Trump will also reposition himself, but this time he’ll need a serious pretext. That pretext could very well be provided by Putin, perhaps during the visit of envoy Witkoff to Moscow the day after tomorrow. But only if Putin chooses to provide it. I suspect he will, because otherwise, the situation risks spinning out of control.
In closing, I remind you of the symbolic setting chosen by Putin to deliver his message: the Valaam Monastery, the most visited Orthodox pilgrimage site in Russia. This is a clear sign that Putin is also positioning himself as a defender of Christianity, and to me, it’s obvious that this is how he wants to be perceived.
