Trump admits for first time that Putin doesn't want war to end, but delays sanctions - WSJ
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump admits for the first time that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not ready to end the war against Ukraine. Trump has said this to European leaders, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports.
According to the sources, during a phone call on Monday, May 19, Trump told European leaders that Putin is not ready to end the war against Ukraine because he believes he is winning.
As the media outlet notes, European leaders had long acknowledged this, but it was the first time they heard it from Trump. This contradicted previous statements by the US President, in which he had claimed Putin supposedly wanted peace.
"Although Trump seems to have realized that Putin is not ready for peace, it hasn't prompted him to do what European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believe he should: double down on the fight against Russia," WSJ emphasizes.
The May 19 phone call included Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
WSJ believes that despite Trump's reluctance to impose sanctions on Russia, Europeans saw certain positives in the situation. For Europe, it underscored that support for Ukraine now largely depends on them. According to sources, European leaders do not believe the Trump administration would halt US arms exports as long as Europe or Ukraine continues to pay for them.
Trump's calls
On May 19, US President Donald Trump called Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Their conversation lasted two hours. Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine would immediately begin negotiations on a ceasefire and an end to the war.
Putin also made a statement after the conversation with Trump. He said that a ceasefire with Ukraine is possible if "relevant agreements are reached".
The Russian President also mentioned a memorandum between Russia and Ukraine, which could include the issue of a ceasefire and the principles of settlement, and allegedly expressed readiness to work on such a memorandum.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded that if the Russian side offers any memorandums, it would not be a secret. In his opinion, such a document "could eventually lead to a roadmap toward ending the war and a peace agreement."
After speaking with Putin, Trump also called Zelenskyy and European leaders.
