EUROMAIDAN, WAR IN UKRAINE

Trump finally had his lauded call with Vladimir Putin today, which unsurprisingly resulted in nothing meaningful.

He announced the “immediate” start of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to arrange a ceasefire on their own, seemingly unaware of the pointless negotiations which took place days prior in Turkiye, which he and Putin refused to attend. He also emphasized a desire for “largescale trade” between the US and Russia as a reward for pausing the war.

In Russia’s readout of the call, they once again rejected Trump’s desire for an unconditional ceasefire, saying one is only possible “once appropriate agreements are reached,” ie, Ukraine’s surrender.

• Mat

On the face of it, this seems like Trump’s way of soft-walking away from his ‘peace plan’ without declaring defeat. He never attempted to put pressure on Russia and now he can wash his hands of the war, moving on to the next shiny object. -Mat

Comment from Chris Lewis :

Grant Goode

What appeasement and collusion with Putin looks like.

Robert L. Eckheart

Ukraine is going to have to get weapons that can have devastating impact on Russian cities.

Ian James

Downside of invading Ukraine, get more land and a trade deal. I can see Putin shaking in his boots.

Amber Bessert

Reporter to Trump: will you arm Ukraine if a deal is not reached?

Trump: well, this war should’ve never started, in fact if I were president, it never would’ve happened. This is not my war. This is Joe Biden’s war

Efion Howells

So the Orange Idiot goes into a battle of wits with a KGB trained psychopath completely unarmed.

Sam Nutton

All Trump can see is dollar signs and all the murdering of women and children by Russia doesn’t matter, the guy is evil beyond measure !

Eddie Hertel

Sorry Trump but this one is not in your wheelhouse, Putin is playing you for a chump and the worse part is you keep buying his shit, please stop you are looking stupid and we all know your not.

David Westerfield

First, Russia needs to withdraw to the pre-2014 borders. Second, they need to pay $300,000,000 in reparations for the damage they have caused in Ukraine. Third, they can just fuck off…

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ROMAN SHEREMETA

Today, Donald Trump had a two-hour phone call with Vladimir Putin.

After the call, he said that russia and Ukraine will immediately begin negotiations for a ceasefire and an end to the war.

According to Trump russia has a desire to pursue large-scale trade with the U.S. once the war ends. He framed the war’s conclusion as an economic opportunity for both russia and Ukraine.

There was no mention of:
• Ukraine’s territorial integrity
• Justice for victims of war crimes
• Security guarantees
• russia’s ongoing aggression

Instead, the focus was on trade deals and rebuilding — with Putin cast as a willing partner, and Trump as the broker.

Trump says he has already briefed Zelenskyy and top EU leaders. The Vatican is floated as a potential host for talks.

But let’s be clear: Without accountability, there can be no sustainable peace. Negotiations without clear principles risk legitimizing aggression and sacrificing Ukraine’s sovereignty for the sake of political victory for Trump.

……………….

WAR UPDATE, WAR, UKRAINE, RUSSIA, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, DONALD TRUMP, VLADIMIR PUTIN, CEASEFIRE, PEACE TALKS, OCCUPIED UKRAINIAN TERRITORIES, DRONES, UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES

Ukraine war latest: Putin refuses ceasefire after Trump call; Zelensky rejects Russia’s demand to withdraw troops from 4 regions

by The Kyiv Independent news desk

May 19, 2025 11:46 PM 

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the Prosecutor-General’s Office board meeting in Moscow, Russia, on March 19, 2025. (Contributor / Getty Images)

Key developments on May 19:

• After call with Trump, Putin still refuses full ceasefire, again cites Russia’s ‘root causes’ of war in Ukraine
• Zelensky dismisses Putin’s demand to withdraw troops from 4 Ukrainian regions
• Commander of Ukraine’s 59th Brigade replaced, media reports
• Ukrainian drones destroy Russian radar, supply depots on Black Sea gas platforms, SBU says

Russia continues to refuse to agree to a full ceasefire in Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin instead prepared to negotiate a “memorandum regarding a potential future peace treaty,” he said following a two-hour call with U.S. President Donald Trump on May 19.

Putin said Trump had “expressed his position regarding the cessation of hostilities, a ceasefire,” but the Russian president insisted the “most effective paths towards peace” were still to be determined.

A source in the President’s Office told the Kyiv Independent on May 19 that Ukraine is still pushing for a full, unconditional ceasefire in talks this week with the U.S. president — the key demand pushed by Trump and accepted by Ukraine back in March.

“Agreed with the president of the U.S. that Russiawill propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace treaty,” Putin told reporters after the call.

“It might define a number of positions, for example, the principles of settlement, the timing of a possible peace agreement, and so on, including a possible ceasefire for a certain period of time if the relevant agreements are reached.”

Russia’s position in the negotiations remains unchanged and requires “eliminating the root causes” of the war, Putin added.

Following the call, the U.S. president said on Truth Social that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately start” negotiations toward a ceasefire and an end to the war.

“The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of,” Trumpwrote.

Trump also claimed that Russia is interested in engaging in large-scale trade with the United States once the war ends.

“There is a tremendous opportunity for Russia to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth. Its potential is unlimited. Likewise, Ukraine can be a great beneficiary on trade, in the process of rebuilding its country,” he said.

The U.S. president said he had informed President Volodymyr Zelensky about the call with Vladimir Putin, as well as several European leaders.

A source in the President’s Office told the Kyiv Independent that Trump and Zelensky spoke twice on the day — once before the scheduled call with Putin and again after it.

The second conversation lasted for over an hour and included Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa.

Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian journalists that the presidents spoke for two hours and five minutes, with no mention of a ceasefire deadline.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the phone call between the two presidents as “productive” and highlighted Trump’s “neutral” stance on the war.

Speaking to reporters, Peskov said, “Trump’s position is neutral and he does deal with settlement issues, while the position of European politicians is openly pro-Ukrainian.”

Zelensky dismisses Putin's demand to withdraw troops from 4 Ukrainian regions

Ukraine will not withdraw troops from the territories it controls, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 19, rejecting Russian demands put forward by the country’s delegation in Istanbul.

“It’s our land, we won’t withdraw our troops from our territory,” Zelensky said, responding to a question by the Kyiv Independent. “This is a constitutional duty of mine, of our military … No ultimatums, no one will surrender their lands, their people, their homes.”

Zelensky’s statement follows inconclusivenegotiations in Istanbul on May 16, where Moscow sent a delegation of low-level officials andreiterated sweeping territorial demands, including Kyiv’s acceptance of the loss of Crimea and four eastern regions.

A source in the Ukrainian President’s Office briefed on the talks told the Kyiv Independent on May 16 that Moscow’s delegation insisted that Ukraine retreat from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, despite Russia not controlling any of them in their entirety.

“It means that they (Russia) don’t want peace,” Zelensky said. “If they demand what they know we won’t agree to. Because they clearly understand that Ukraine will not do it,” he added.

Russia illegally declared the annexation of the four oblasts following sham referenda in late 2022, incorporating them into its constitution — a move that holds no weight internationally.

Moscow continues to refuse to agree to a full ceasefire. During a call with Trump, Putin said he is prepared to negotiate a “memorandum regarding a potential future peace treaty.”

Russia’s maximalist position in the negotiations remains unchanged and demands “eliminating the root causes” of the war, the Russian president added.

Trump’s approach to negotiations frustrates European allies, many of whom sought his support for a joint U.S.–EU ultimatum demanding an unconditional ceasefire starting May 12 and tougher sanctions on Moscow.

Despite Russia’s refusal, no new U.S. sanctions have been imposed so far.