Donald Trump had promised, throughout the campaign, to end Russia’s war in Ukraine in his first 24 hours as president, although that didn’t happen.
Trump has hosted and ranted at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office, and recently had a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, although neither led to any likelihood that the war will end soon.
Now, there’s word that Trump has told other leaders that Putin is not yet ready to end the war.
The Wall Street Journal reported this week, after his call with the Russian president, that Putin “isn’t ready to end the Ukraine war because he thinks he is winning.” This matches what European leaders have long believed, although Trump has said in the past that he believes Trump is sincere about wanting peace.
The call with the European leaders included French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in addition to Zelensky.
Trump’s View on Ukraine War
“Just completed my two hour call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. I believe it went very well. Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,” Trump said on Truth Social after his call with Putin.
“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. The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If it wasn’t, I would say so now, rather than later.”
While Trump, per the Wall Street Journal, told European leaders that he would consider more sanctions against Russia if Putin refused a ceasefire, but had backed off of that idea by Monday.
Trump has suggested that the Vatican host talks between Russia and Ukraine, even though neither is a Catholic country or has a Catholic leader. Those talks are set to take place in June.
Trump’s Flip-Flop
A Washington Post analysis this week, by fact-checker Glenn Kessler, pointed out how Trump “flip-flopped” on the question of how easy it would be to end the war in Ukraine.
“Before I even arrive at the Oval Office, shortly after we all together win the presidency, we will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled. It will be settled,” Trump said at a July 2023 rally, early in his campaign, although he repeated similar sentiments at other times during the campaign. “The war is going to be settled. I’ll get them both. I know Zelensky, I know Putin. It’ll be done within 24 hours, you watch.”
By this May, however, Trump was declaring that the war could only be resolved between Russia and Ukraine, and not by Trump himself.
“It hasn’t been as easy as Trump predicted. Here’s a review of his statements on negotiations since he became president,” Kessler writes. “While he sometimes expressed frustration with Russia, the president put much more pressure on Ukraine to make concessions while dangling the possibility of sanctions relief on Russia. Now he appears to have washed his hands of the issue, leaving it to the parties to settle it themselves.”
How Russia Sees It
As pointed out by the Post, Russia’s readout of the recent call between Trump and Putin shows that the Russians wish to address the “root causes” of the conflict, defined by the Post as “code for a replacement of the current Ukrainian government and a neutering of its military,” along with Ukraine tilting back towards Russia rather than NATO, Europe or the west.
Zelensky replied, however, that “it’s our land, we won’t withdraw our troops from our territory.”
About the Author
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
The B-21 Raider Is a Powerhouse
isurviving
May 22, 2025 at 10:17 pm
Those film critics need to be taken serious.
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