Russian opposition figure Mark Feygin said that both Donald Trump and those around him have now become convinced that Moscow is losing and no longer has any leverage, Politeka reports.
He made the remarks during Valerii Savchuk’s author program Different People.
According to the guest, there are objective reasons why Trump has stopped believing in a Russian victory. First, Feygin says, Putin kept talking about supposed major victories and, since January 20, 2025, had been assuring Trump that Russian forces were on the verge of capturing the entire Donetsk region. But so much time has passed that, Feygin argues, only a fool could fail to see the deception—that Moscow is incapable of achieving what it promised.
“The second factor is the elections in November. More than 70% of American voters support Ukraine, want Tomahawk missiles transferred to Kyiv, and dislike Putin. These are official polls; it’s no secret. Trump cannot ignore this because the November elections are crucial for him. Losing the House of Representatives would almost certainly trigger the start of impeachment proceedings. Yes, it may never result in actual impeachment, but Trump’s political situation would change dramatically. Can Trump simply ignore this? No. Can he afford to alienate 70% of voters? Can he keep demonstrating stubbornness and persistence in making unpopular decisions? Can he continue supporting Putin against Ukraine in defiance of public opinion? He has to take all of this into account,” Mark Feygin explained.
The third reason, he says, is the failure of mediation efforts. Throughout this period, the expert recalls, Russia had been demanding that the United States pressure Ukraine into surrendering Donbas. That pressure continued until war broke out in the Middle East. Now, even Rubio has stated that no agreements were reached in Anchorage.
The fourth factor, the opposition figure notes, is connected to setbacks in the Middle East. Politically, Trump has already suffered a defeat there, and he cannot afford to lose on Ukraine as well—especially after promising to end the war within 24 hours. Feygin describes this as a matter of historical significance.
“This is not simply a case of Trump waking up on the wrong side of the bed, as people often say about him. No, this is an objective shift, and it appears to be irreversible. Rubio made this quite clear during his meeting with Lavrov. We should recognize that this change has taken place. Perhaps some agreements will be reached during Zelenskyy’s visit to the United States. Maybe Tomahawk missiles will be delivered—I honestly have no idea. But something will happen to demonstrate that this shift is real: that from this point forward, the United States intends to end the war by applying pressure to Moscow, not to Ukraine,” Mark Feygin concluded.
