U.S. President Donald Trump has shifted back towards Russian President Vladimir Putin’s perspective on the Ukraine conflict. Despite initial speculation that Trump might take a tougher stance against Russia or align more with the European Union, his recent actions indicate otherwise. After hinting at providing Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles, Trump had a lengthy phone call with Putin and later distanced himself from the missile deal during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to Phillips O’Brien, a professor at the University of St. Andrews, Trump’s current position is consistent with his administration’s actions of cutting financial aid to Ukraine, avoiding new sanctions on Russia, and pressuring Zelenskyy to make concessions. While Trump refrained from publicly humiliating Zelenskyy during their White House meeting, reports suggest that in private, he aggressively pushed Zelenskyy to agree to Putin’s terms or face potential destruction by Russia.
Michael Bociurkiw, a global affairs analyst, believes that Putin influenced Trump during their phone call, dissuading him from providing Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. Trump’s recent statements, including maintaining the status quo in Ukraine’s Donbas region and his ambiguous remarks on Ukraine’s war prospects, indicate a shift away from supporting Ukraine.
As the possibility of a Trump-Putin summit in Hungary looms, Zelenskyy remains wary, expressing doubts about the host, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, known for his pro-Putin stance. Zelenskyy emphasized concerns about Orban’s potential role in facilitating positive outcomes for Ukraine.