Can Pressure and Dialogue Coexist? The West’s Two-Tiered Russia Strategy

The West is pursuing a two-tiered strategy towards Russia, attempting to see if intense pressure and high-level dialogue can coexist to end the Ukraine war. The approach will be put to the test next week at the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska.
The first tier is pressure. This is exemplified by the newly lowered oil price cap of $47.60 per barrel and the threat of more U.S. sanctions. The goal is to make the war unsustainable for Russia by attacking its finances and isolating it economically.
The second tier is dialogue. This is represented by Trump’s decision to meet with Putin directly. The goal is to provide a diplomatic off-ramp, a way for Russia to end the conflict without a complete and humiliating military defeat.
The fundamental question is whether these two tiers are complementary or contradictory. Does the pressure make the dialogue more likely to succeed? Or does the offer of dialogue reduce the incentive for Russia to buckle under the pressure? The outcome of the Alaska summit will provide a crucial answer.