As the U.S. pushes for immediate ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine, Professor Josef Gregory Mahoney from East China Normal University argues that the U.S. is effectively engaged in a proxy war, a view widely recognized in Ukraine but controversial in Europe. He sees Trump as motivated by the need for a foreign policy victory ahead of the midterms and hastening the process. Meanwhile, Putin appears hesitant to accept a peace framework shaped by a rival power. Mahoney emphasizes the importance of more neutral actors, such as China, Brazil and India, stepping in to seek a genuinely inclusive and sustainable resolution.