All eyes are on the US and Russia today for the upcoming telephone conversation expected to have Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in the day, which is likely to play a decisive role in shaping the future course of the conflict in Ukraine.

And while the attacks continue over the sky of Kiev and Moscow, Trump seems increasingly frustrated by the mediation efforts to achieve peace. At the same time, Moscow and Kiev are both struggling to prove that the actual obstacle to reaching peace is the other side hoping to shift Trump’s volatile opinion, at least for a while, towards them.

European officials say they also want to talk to Trump before his telephone communication with Putin, amid concerns that Trump’s view of the conflict can be shaped by who will talk to him. It is recalled that last month, following a conversation with Trump – Zelenski at the funeral of Pope Francis, the US president then made some of his most critical comments to the Russian president about the rocket attack in Kiev, adding that he could not say that he could not say that.

As long as Monday’s telephone conversation, Putin – who refused to accept a 30 -day truce requested by President Trump and who agreed by Ukraine – will be able to use it either by giving business incentives, with flattery or criticism.

Trump and Putin already seem to share a firm belief that only they have personal power and skills to settle the war in Ukraine, while the Europeans and the Ukrainians themselves will eventually do what the two agree.

The great fear of the Ukrainians is that the two leaders will draw up their own peace plan by telephone and then possibly seek to impose Putin’s terms under the threat of withdrawing the US vital and financial aid.

President Trump also has an influence on Russia if he chooses to use it. With the victims of the attacks increasing and its economy shrinking, the Kremlin undoubtedly wants to avoid further pushing an already angry Trump which can potentially lead to doubling US support for Ukrainian war effort.

As always, the problem remains that neither Russia nor Ukraine are at present willing to accept the few terms of each other, to make enough compromises to satisfy the other side.

Of course, this does not mean that the conversations – whether directly, either face -to -face or by phone – are pointless. After all, they can highlight how far the two sides are actually. But what it can mean is that, even under the pressure of the US, even after a direct telephone call with President Trump, both Moscow and Kiev may choose to continue the war.