Trump's call with Putin exposes shifting ground on Ukraine peace talks

 

Trump’s Ukraine Stance Shifts Again After Putin Call

Just a year ago, Donald Trump boldly claimed he could end the Ukraine War in “24 hours.”

Last week, he floated a new idea: he and Russian President Vladimir Putin would need to meet in person to resolve the conflict.

Then came another shift.

On Monday, after a two-hour phone call with Putin, Trump changed course once more. This time, he said any peace agreement must be hammered out directly between Ukraine and Russia—perhaps with help from the Pope.

Despite this inconsistency, Trump remains publicly optimistic. He posted on Truth Social that Ukraine and Russia would “immediately start” ceasefire talks and work toward ending the war.

But Russia’s take was more measured. Putin simply said the two nations might begin work on a “memorandum on a possible future peace agreement”—hardly the kind of language that signals imminent resolution.

Putin again emphasized that any real peace must address the so-called “root causes” of the war—namely, Ukraine’s westward orientation and push for closer ties with Europe, which Russia has long opposed.

Trump, for his part, claimed after the call that talks would begin right away, and that “conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties.”

Yet there’s growing concern that Trump’s erratic handling of the issue could lead the U.S. to step back entirely. On Monday, he insisted he wouldn’t walk away from brokering peace—but added that he had a personal “red line” in mind.

“Big egos involved, but I think something’s going to happen,” he said. “And if it doesn’t, I’ll just back away and they’ll have to keep going.”

That raises serious questions: If the U.S. disengages—as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have also suggested—does that mean cutting off military and intelligence support to Ukraine?

Such a move could tip the scales. Without U.S. backing, Ukraine may find itself overwhelmed by a far better-resourced Russian military—an outcome Moscow would likely welcome.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his concerns plain on Monday.

“It’s crucial for all of us that the United States does not distance itself from the talks and the pursuit of peace,” he said after the Trump-Putin call.

Trump’s rush to broker a peace deal seems driven more by his own ambitions than by diplomatic strategy. Behind closed doors, he’s voiced frustration with both Putin and Zelensky over the war’s slow resolution.

In February, during a heated Oval Office meeting, he accused Zelensky of “gambling with World War Three.” In April, he vented that he was “very angry” and “pissed off” with Putin for dragging out negotiations.

Despite the chaos, some level of dialogue between Ukraine and Russia appears to be ongoing. Last Friday, a Russian delegation—reportedly low-level—met with Ukrainian representatives in Istanbul.

Trump continues to dangle the promise of lifted sanctions, trade incentives, and economic investment as a carrot for Putin. He reiterated that position in his post-call comments. Notably absent, however, was any mention of consequences for Russia—such as tougher sanctions on its banks or energy exports.

Just last month, Trump warned Putin not to “tap me along” and condemned attacks on civilian areas. Yet on Monday, mere hours after their call, Russia launched its largest drone strike of the war on Ukrainian cities.

If peace is coming, it’s still far from sight.