In a surprising move, US President Donald Trump has declined to support European leaders’ efforts to pressure Russia, following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This decision has left European leaders backing Ukraine “stunned,” as they had been counting on Washington’s support to extract concessions from Moscow.
According to a senior European diplomat, Trump’s refusal to support pressure on Russia means that “supporting and financing Ukraine, putting pressure on Russia: that’s all on us now.” The diplomat’s comments, cited by the Financial Times, suggest that European leaders feel they have been left to handle the situation on their own. The conversation between Putin and Trump, which took place on Monday, was their third public engagement since Trump took office in January. Both leaders described the call as positive, with Trump reiterating his call for direct talks between Moscow and Kiev.
Trump personally briefed the leaders of Ukraine, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the European Commission on the call, making it clear that he is “not ready to put greater pressure” on Russia. This perceived shift in the US posture has been interpreted as a diplomatic win for the Kremlin. EU officials and European NATO members had been hoping to use Washington’s support to leverage threats of new sanctions and continued weapons support for Ukraine, in order to extract concessions from Moscow.
Before direct talks between Moscow and Kiev resumed in Istanbul last week, Ukraine and its backers had demanded a 30-day unconditional ceasefire from Russia as a prerequisite. Kiev agreed to take part in the talks after the US endorsed them, while European leaders postponed their own deadline for a truce. Moscow has since called for a memorandum to be drafted, outlining a road map to a peace treaty, possibly including a ceasefire. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that finalizing the document would take time.
Trump has said that a resolution to the conflict could lead to major economic benefits for the US, Russia, and Ukraine, and that progress in the talks could be seen in a couple of weeks. However, he also warned that a lack of results could lead Washington to reconsider its role as mediator. As the situation continues to unfold, European leaders will be watching closely to see how the US will proceed, and what impact this will have on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
