Trump reveals Putin's war strategy, stalls on sanctions
Donald Trump revealed that Vladimir Putin does not intend to end the war in Ukraine because he believes he will win. This surprising admission was reportedly made during a phone call with European leaders.
What do you need to know?
- Donald Trump admitted during a call with European leaders that Vladimir Putin is not ready to end the war in Ukraine because he believes he is winning.
- Despite previous announcements, Trump did not agree to impose new sanctions against Russia, which disappointed European leaders.
- European leaders fear that support for Ukraine will have to come mainly from Europe because the Trump administration does not plan to halt U.S. arms exports.
Why won't Putin end the war?
During a phone call with European leaders, Donald Trump admitted that Vladimir Putin does not intend to end the war in Ukraine because he is convinced of his victory, reports "The Wall Street Journal," citing three people familiar with the matter.
This admission surprised European leaders, hearing such words from Trump for the first time. These words confirmed what European leaders had long suspected about Putin, but it was the first time they had heard it from Trump. The revealed words of Trump contradict his public statements, where he repeatedly assured that Putin sincerely desires peace.
Despite previous declarations about the possibility of imposing sanctions, Trump did not take such a step.
Will the US impose new sanctions?
In an earlier conversation with European leaders, Trump suggested the possibility of imposing sanctions against the Russian energy and financial sectors. However, the very next day, he withdrew from this idea, expressing less interest in the US participating in this process.
European leaders pressed for an unconditional ceasefire, but Trump did not agree to use the term "unconditional," even though he had previously used it in social media.
A completely different account of Trump
As reported earlier, Donald Trump, during a phone call with Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders, informed them that he asked Vladimir Putin to offer something in negotiations they could agree to.
Donald Trump publicly declared that his conversation with Vladimir Putin went very well, and that Russia and Ukraine would immediately start negotiations on a ceasefire.
A source from the Axios portal also claimed that later in the conversation, the US President announced that Putin agreed to immediately start direct negotiations on a ceasefire. There were a few seconds of surprising silence. The President also indicated that Vladimir Putin might present a "peace memorandum" outlining conditions to end the conflict. Trump reportedly stated that this is something both Ukraine and European nations could agree to.
