President Donald Trump’s long-touted promise to swiftly end the war in Ukraine is evaporating, replaced by a strategy shift that observers say benefits only one man: Vladimir Putin.
Is Putin Playing Trump on the Ukraine War?
During his campaign and early days back in office, Trump repeatedly claimed he could stop the Russia-Ukraine war “in 24 hours.” Yet instead of leading peace talks, Trump appears to be backing away from mediation altogether, pushing the burden onto European leaders.
He has also signaled sympathy with Putin.
According to a pair of administration officials and an external adviser, Trump initially planned a dramatic summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which would have doubled as both geopolitical theater and a psychological triumph for the controversial President.
However, this plan has now been quietly shelved.
Reports suggest that the administration could well revisit the idea of such a meeting, but there are no longer expectations that it would be likely to yield a cease-fire.
Recent phone calls between Trump and Putin, and also Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky respectively, allegedly reportedly yielded no progress and could signal the end of Trump’s push for peace – for now.
By stepping aside, Trump has handed Putin a valuable reprieve. The Kremlin can now press its battlefield advantage without fear of additional U.S. pressure or penalties. This shift could leave Ukraine on shakier ground, and has likely inflamed tensions between Washington and its European allies.
This is hardly the only time Trump has been blasted for his apparent warmth towards Putin, or his frustration with NATO. But the implications are more serious in the current context. A war that has reshaped European security, displaced millions, and exposed the limits of Western resolve now faces a new kind of stalemate. The difference? This will be one shaped not by military attrition, but by diplomatic withdrawal.
Trump’s defenders may argue that disengagement avoids further entanglement and allows regional powers to take the lead. Still, his critics will perceive it as abdication after he previously vowed to end the conflict within 24 hours.
Without meaningful U.S. involvement, the chances of peace seem much less likely, and tens of thousands of men continue to perish on the frontlines.
For now, the cease-fire Trump once promised remains a mirage. And the power vacuum left by Washington’s retreat is quickly being filled by Moscow’s ambitions.
As Europe recalibrates and Ukraine endures, Trump’s pivot away from peacemaking is being read not as neutrality—but as another gift to the Kremlin.
About the Author:
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
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