08:57, 20.05.25

European leaders are frustrated and fear that Trump is abandoning diplomatic efforts to end the war.

Bloomberg: Trump ‘washes hands’ and walks away from talks, Putin wins

Trump ensured Putin’s victory by walking away from the negotiations / REUTERS
Just days ago, Donald Trump’s call for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and threats of new sanctions against Russia sparked cautious optimism among European leaders. But Trump’s call with Vladimir Putin on Monday dashed those hopes, Bloomberg reports .

The US is “washing its hands”
After the two-hour call, Trump wrote on social media that Ukraine and Russia would “immediately begin negotiations” on a ceasefire, but that the United States might not be involved. There was no mention of sanctions, a clear timetable, or pressure on Putin.

Although Trump addressed European leaders after the call, many are already frustrated by his inconsistency. After months of futile efforts to persuade Moscow to make peace, there is growing concern in European capitals that the United States is simply washing its hands of the situation.

One senior European official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that “leaders are concerned that Trump is abandoning diplomatic efforts.” Another confirmed that Trump has made it clear that he has no intention of pressuring Moscow with new sanctions and is “backing off on his own ceasefire proposal.” He said neither Kyiv nor its EU allies share the idea of ​​direct talks between Ukraine and Russia.

“Today, it seems that we are back to a much longer-term scenario, in which Putin is buying himself and his military more time,” said Christine Berzina, director of the Geostrategy North program at the German Marshall Fund. “Putin has gained more opportunities, and a ceasefire and a settlement seem increasingly distant.”

Later on Monday, Trump made a controversial statement: While the US is not walking away from the talks, he is considering such an option, adding that there is a “certain limit,” which he declined to specify. He did not rule out new sanctions or additional weapons for Ukraine, but made it clear that he is in no hurry to do so.

“I think something will happen, and if not, I’ll just back off and they’ll have to move on,” Trump said at the White House.

No breakthrough
Bloomberg Economics analysts note that although Trump called the conversation with Putin “great,” “the conversation did not bring any noticeable breakthrough on Ukraine.” Expert Alex Kokcharov emphasizes:

“It remains unclear whether this signals a genuine shift in the Kremlin’s position or a continuation of efforts to delay the talks… the former is less likely than the latter.”

Such uncertainty only increases domestic political pressure on Trump, who promised to end the war in Europe and stabilize the Middle East, but is now faced with realities that belie his campaign rhetoric.

The president’s previous statements have been much more emphatic. Last week, he said, “Nothing is going to happen until Putin and I meet,” and stressed the US commitment to peace. Trump even suggested he was willing to change the itinerary of his Middle East visit to meet Putin in Istanbul. But Russia sent a low-level delegation to those talks, and Trump himself did not attend. An agreement was reached only on a prisoner exchange — with no progress on the broader peace process.

Volodymyr Zelensky, who supported Trump’s idea of ​​an immediate ceasefire, emphasized in conversations with the US president before and after the call with Putin that if Russia does not cease fire, sanctions should be strengthened. But Trump responded ambiguously, in particular, stating that Zelensky is “not the easiest person to communicate with.”

Putin’s goals have not changed
For his part, Putin, commenting on the talks, told reporters in Sochi that the conversation was “frank” and “very useful.” He said the parties agreed to work on a memorandum with Ukraine on a potential peace treaty. No details were given, but he repeated his main point: “The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this crisis.”

Maria Snehova of the Center for Strategic and International Studies explains that in Putin’s understanding, this is “the very existence of the Ukrainian state in its current form.” She adds:

“Rhetorically, Russia presents itself as open to negotiations and publicly welcomes US efforts to avoid irritating the US government. But in practice, it is firmly adhering to its original position.”

Another surprise was Trump’s statement that the Vatican could be a platform for negotiations. When asked if the newly elected Pope Leo XIV could help resolve the conflict, Trump said: “Yes.” He also answered the question of whether he believed Putin wanted peace.

Still, the United States has leverage if the president dares to use it, said John Herbst, a former ambassador to Kyiv and director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Washington could “open the pipeline for significant military supplies to Ukraine” and impose new sanctions, he said.

Congress appears to be prepared for such a scenario. On the eve of his talks with Putin, Senator Lindsey Graham called for new sanctions against Russia, and Majority Leader John Thune confirmed on Monday:

“The Senate has a bill on sanctions against Russia ready for consideration. If the White House concludes that tougher sanctions are needed, we are ready for that.”

What preceded
As UNIAN reported, on May 19, the American president had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after which he contacted Kremlin ruler Putin.

During the two-hour conversation, they discussed ending the war and further cooperation between Washington and Moscow.

Trump later wrote online that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately” begin talks on a ceasefire and an end to the war, with the terms of this to be discussed between the two sides.

His statement did not mention any tightening of sanctions against Russia , which has repeatedly rejected his proposed ceasefire.

At the same time, American media wrote that Trump was trying to distance himself from the peace agreement because he found that he could not stop the war in Ukraine.

(C)UNIAN 2025