Zelensky has time on his side. Putin does not.

Even as the Covid-19 virus is causing the Russian economy to fall around Putin's knees, and his international political strategy lies in tatters before him, nonetheless,

"Russia is planning to open the huge [Resurrection of Christ Cathedral, a military monument to the Soviet victory in the second world war], with mosaics depicting Vladimir Putin and Joseph Stalin, as well as the annexation of Crimea, on the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany next month." (Andrew Roth : The Guardian : 27 April 2020) (my emphasis)

For the time being, however, due to these mosaic panels becoming public, and their 'controversial nature', they were removed, leaving empty spaces where they should have been placed. (BBC: 1 May 2020)

As these mosaic panels were being removed, Lavrov (Putin's dyed-in-the-wool Soviet Foreign Minister), French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, held a 'video' Normandy Four conference on 30 April.

 Lavrov, Le Drian, Maas, & Kuleba

As reported by Henry Meyer and Daryna Krasnolutska,

"Fragile hopes of ending the six-year conflict in Ukraine that might pave the way to an easing of European sanctions on Russia have evaporated as Moscow and Kyiv find themselves in renewed deadlock." (Bloomberg : 30 April 2020) (my emphasis)
 
The four-way talks focused on the implementation of a 2015 Minsk II peace agreement for eastern Ukraine that was signed in Minsk and brokered by France and Germany.

Vladimir Isachenkov (right) further reports that :-

•  Lavrov [ ] noted that the Ukrainian authorities have continued to shun direct dialogue with the rebels, stymieing peace efforts. He emphasized that such negotiations are essential for implementing earlier agreements that envisaged a broad autonomy for the rebel regions.
•  Kuleba rejected Lavrov's arguments, insisting that Ukraine will not talk to the “illegal formations.”
• Maas said that many of the elements agreed in Minsk and Paris have yet to be implemented. “These compromises, which are the result of long and hard negotiations, mustn’t be destroyed"
• And rather lamely, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement that participants agreed to call for a cease-fire. (ABC News : 30 April 2020) (my emphasis)

EU sanctions against Putin for his illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea, and his ongoing war with Ukraine, have not been removed.

As the EU spokesperson for the European Commission Peter Stano (left) stated on 6th April,

"The European Union leadership says there is no issue in keeping sanctions against Russia in place amid the coronavirus pandemic because they do not hamper Russia’s capabilities to address the outbreak..sanctions "do not prevent Russia from tackling coronavirus outbreak." (Tass :6 April 2020) (my emphasis)

Underlining the fact that sanctions do not prevent Russia from tackling the coronavirus outbreak is the fact that,

"Moscow has expanded its military actions on the Black Sea, not to compete with other international players who are too strong for that but rather to try to end trade in Ukrainian ports, something that weakens Kyiv and gives Moscow additional leverage in Ukraine.

...

Russia’s “final goal” remains unchanged: the installation in Kyiv of a pro-Russian government under Moscow’s control, Danilyuk says. To that end, it is prepared to compromise the rights of Ukrainians on the occupied territories in terms of land ownership and put them at greater risk of infection from the pandemic." (Oleksandr Danilyuk (right): Window on Eurasia : 22 April 2020) (my emphasis)

Further underscoring that sanctions do not prevent Putin from putting more resources into tackling the corona virus outbreak in Russia,

"Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin (left) has signed an order increasing the salaries of those in the Russian Guard and other organs of internal affairs serving in Moscow and St. Petersburg and in Moscow and Leningrad Oblasts by as much as 100 percent when they are deployed to maintain “public order”" (Window on Eurasia : (https://ehorussia.com/new/node/20677 (use Google Translate): 25 April 2020) (my emphasis)

This action of Mishutin indicates that Putin is wary that the growing economic hardship of the Russian people, coupled with a collapsing oil-price and an avalanche of small businesses going bankrupt, spells danger to his vice-like grip on Russian society.

Putin may have cleared the streets of protestors ...  but he cannot eradicate the number of growing online protest actions.

 Youtube : 28 April 2020

  

Zelensky has time on his side. Putin does not.

(to be continued)