Trump Privately Concedes Putin Unwilling to End Ukraine War

[Social Media]

 

Trump Concedes Putin Unwilling to End Ukraine War, But Holds Back on Sanctions

 

In a private conversation with European leaders earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged for the first time that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not prepared to end the war in Ukraine—a stark departure from his previous public statements. According to three individuals familiar with the exchange, Trump told European counterparts during a Monday call that Putin believes he is winning the war and thus sees no reason to pursue peace.

 

This candid admission marked a significant shift in tone for Trump, who has often portrayed Putin as a potential partner for peace. For European leaders, the statement was less a revelation than a confirmation of what they had long suspected. However, hearing it directly from Trump for the first time added weight to their ongoing diplomatic concerns.

 

The White House declined to comment officially on the conversation but pointed to a social-media post by Trump on Monday, in which he characterized his call with Putin as positive. “The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If it wasn’t, I would say so now,” Trump wrote.

 

Despite his newfound understanding of Putin’s reluctance to end the conflict, Trump has not taken the tougher stance that European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been urging. In a call with European leaders on Sunday, prior to his two-hour conversation with Putin, Trump had floated the possibility of imposing sanctions on Russia should Putin refuse to agree to a cease-fire. However, by Monday, he had reversed course, expressing instead a desire to initiate lower-level peace talks between Russia and Ukraine at the Vatican.

 

The Monday call, which included Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, was the culmination of an intensive European diplomatic push to persuade Trump to apply pressure on Putin. While the effort failed to convince Trump to enact new sanctions, European leaders saw value in the exchange. It served to clarify Trump's position and reinforced their belief that Putin has no intention of ending the war for now.

 

“This isn’t my war,” Trump told reporters following his conversation with Putin. “We got ourselves entangled in something we shouldn’t have been involved in.”

 

Despite the lack of direct U.S. action, European officials remain cautiously optimistic that the U.S. will not obstruct the continued flow of weapons to Ukraine, provided that either European nations or Ukraine bear the financial burden. According to those familiar with the situation, there is little concern among European leaders that the Trump administration would block arms shipments under those conditions.

 

On Sunday’s call with European heads of state—including Macron, Merz, Meloni, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer—Trump had suggested he would send Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Keith Kellogg to participate in the upcoming peace talks in the Vatican. However, by Monday, he appeared less committed to any concrete U.S. role in the discussions, according to a person briefed on the call.

 

The proposed negotiations at the Vatican are expected to commence in mid-June, with hopes that even a limited dialogue might lead to some form of diplomatic progress. Yet with Putin showing no signs of retreat and Trump hesitant to escalate pressure, European leaders now find themselves increasingly responsible for shaping the path forward in Ukraine.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Wall Street Journal  2025-05-23

 

 

[Tug]

Duhhh!

[Chomper Higgot]

3 hours ago, Social Media said:

 

“This isn’t my war,” Trump told reporters following his conversation with Putin. “We got ourselves entangled in something we shouldn’t have been involved in.”

 

You did however state during your election campaign that you would end this war in 24hrs.

 

You own that Donny as much as it now owns you.