Trump losing hope on ending Russia-Ukraine war — NBC

Trump loses optimism

According to two senior officials in the US presidential administration, Trump has become more pessimistic about the prospects of ending Russia's war against Ukraine and the possibility of a personal meeting between the leaders of the two countries.

However, Trump has not abandoned the idea of resolving the conflict. On Thursday, he held a video conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders. During the conversation, he stressed that "Europe must stop purchasing Russian oil that is funding the war."

Pressure on Europe and China

According to a White House representative, Trump also stressed the need to increase pressure on China. He emphasized that Beijing supports Russia's military actions and must bear the economic consequences.

This approach differs from Trump's rhetoric during the 2024 election campaign. At that time, he confidently stated that he would be able to end the war within 24 hours of taking office. He later explained that he was speaking figuratively. Now, the US President acknowledges that the conflict has proven to be much more complex than he had anticipated.

Negotiation efforts without results

Attempts to achieve peace in August ended unsuccessfully. On August 15, Trump arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, to meet with Vladimir Putin. He hoped to achieve a ceasefire, but returned a few hours later without an agreement.

Three days later, Trump gathered Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House. Following the meeting, it was announced that Putin and Zelenskyy would meet in person for the first time since the start of the war. However, this meeting never took place.

Positions of Russia and Ukraine

During his visit to China this week, Putin stated that he intends to end the war by force if Ukraine does not agree to his terms of surrender. He also added that he would only meet with Zelenskyy in Moscow.

The Ukrainian President, in turn, is ready to consider other options. His advisers report that negotiations are possible in the Persian Gulf countries, Switzerland, Austria, Türkiye, and other neutral states. However, a meeting on Russian territory is out of the question.

Growing casualties and criticism of sanctions policy

Trump himself, responding to questions from journalists, said: "I have no message to President Putin. He knows where I stand, and he’ll make a decision one way or the other. Whatever his decision is, we’ll either be happy about it or unhappy. And if we’re unhappy about it, you’ll see things happen."

Meanwhile, the fighting continues to claim lives. Last week, a Russian missile strike on Kyiv killed at least 15 people, including four children. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the number of casualties on both sides is estimated at approximately 1.5 million.

A European source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was growing irritation in Europe that the Trump administration had not yet imposed new sanctions on Russia that could push it to end the war.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called Putin a war criminal and said that Putin sees no reason to reach a ceasefire or peace agreement with Ukraine.

According to the Wall Street Journal, despite agreements with European leaders, Trump did not make any clear commitments regarding new sanctions against Russia.