With ‘Ball in His Court,’ What Will Putin Do?

EXPERT ANALYSIS — As the Trump Administration pressed ahead over the past week to reach a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine, two phrases captured the moment: “The ball is in Russia’s court” – a line from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, echoed by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, after the U.S. and Ukraine presented a 30-day ceasefire proposal; and “root causes of the crisis” – the words used by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his response to the plan.

The diplomatic “ball” landed in Russia’s court in the form of the U.S.-Ukraine proposal for a 30-day pause in the fighting, and it put pressure on Russian President Putin to respond favorably – given a recent series of pro-Russian statements and measures from the White House.