Trump privately tells European leaders Putin not ready to end war
President Donald Trump told European leaders in a private call on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not believe the war in Ukraine should end because he feels he is winning, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the discussion.
The comments, which reportedly came during a conference call attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders, marked a significant shift from Trump’s previous public statements, in which he suggested Putin was open to peace, the WSJ reported.
On Monday, Trump publicly announced that Russia and Ukraine would soon begin negotiations on a ceasefire to end the ongoing war.
“I believe it’s going very well. Russia and Ukraine will soon begin negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,” Trump said after talks with his Russian counterpart.
While the call with European leaders helped clarify Putin’s stance, it did not sway Trump to support tougher action, the WSJ reported.
Trump declined to support new sanctions on Russia, the report said, and instead proposed resuming low-level talks between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican. Those talks are now expected to begin in mid-June.
Before his two-hour call with Putin, Trump had told European leaders on Sunday that sanctions could be used to pressure Putin, but on Monday, he appeared to walk back that position, the report added.
European officials viewed the talks as a partial success, helping to underscore that Putin remains unwilling to end the conflict. Leaders now believe they must take more responsibility for supporting Ukraine, the WSJ report added.
Source: Investing.com
