Key Points – President Trump’s frustration with Vladimir Putin is mounting as his efforts to broker peace in Ukraine stall, despite a recent direct phone call.
-Trump, who recently called Putin “crazy” for escalating attacks, is now reportedly considering new US sanctions against Russia if Moscow doesn’t engage seriously in peace negotiations. Republican senators have a sanctions bill ready, awaiting Trump’s approval.
-While new US military aid for Ukraine seems unlikely, Germany has pledged to help Kyiv develop long-range weapons.
-Russia, meanwhile, has proposed new talks in Istanbul for June 2nd, even as it deploys new advanced drones on the battlefield.
What’s Next for Trump in Dealing with Russia?
Donald Trump promised, on the campaign trail, to end the war between Russia and Ukraine within his first 24 hours in office. That didn’t happen, nor did Trump make any moves toward ending the war in a two-hour phone call with Putin earlier this month. This has led to Trump doing something he hadn’t done much of in the past, which is directly criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This led to Trump making vague insinuations about things he’s done for Putin in the past, and a top Russian official appearing to threaten World War III in response.
“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,” Trump said on Truth Social this week.
Trump is trying to push for peace talks, while also openly expressing frustration about the lack of progress, and trying to get The Vatican to step in and oversee peace talks.
The question being asked now is, what now?
Trump’s Next Move
According to a Politico report on Tuesday, Trump is running out of patience with Putin. Trump wants to end the war, and reset relations with Russia, possibly with new trade deals, but Putin has not played along.
“Putin is getting dangerously close to burning the golden bridge that Trump has set out before him,” one Administration official told Politico. According to the piece, additional sanctions are on the table, as Trump threatened while talking to reporters last weekend.
Politico added that Republican senators have a Russian sanctions bill all set to go, but Trump has not yet given the go-ahead. Sen. John Thune, the Senate majority leader, told Politico that the Senate has the votes to pass the bill.
Per the Washington Post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this week that he believes the U.S. is ready to place new sanctions on Russia if the Russians don’t agree to a ceasefire.
“President Trump supported that if Russia does not stop, there will be sanctions,” Zelensky told the press this week, referencing the meetings he held with Trump and other leaders the week of Pope Francis’ funeral.
“Our conversation was positive from the point of view that I perceive our conversation as a confirmation of the U.S. policy of imposing strong sanctions against Russia if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire.”
It’s not certain what the path forward is.
“I am now very, very skeptical that Trump will ever apply any serious sanctions or measures on Russia,” Kurt Volker, Trump’s former special envoy to Ukraine, told Politico. “He has had so many opportunities to do it, and he has always ducked.”
Germany’s Move and Other New Weapons
Meanwhile, while the U.S. seems unlikely to approve more weapons for Ukraine, beyond what was appropriated during the Biden presidency, Germany has announced that it will make long-range weapons available to Ukraine.
Per The Guardian, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said this week that Germany “will help Kyiv develop new long-range weapons that can hit targets in Russian territory.”
“Our defence ministers will sign a memorandum of understanding today regarding the procurement of Ukrainian-made long-range weapons systems,” Merz said, per the newspaper.
Also, per the same newspaper, Russia has proposed holding new peace talks in Istanbul on June 2.
“The Russian side, as agreed, has promptly developed a relevant memorandum, which sets out our position on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this week.
Meanwhile, The BBC reported this week about a “terrifying new weapon” that is beginning to affect the war: A special kind of Russian drone.
“That Rodynske is being swarmed by Russian drones is evidence that the attacks are coming from positions much closer than known Russian positions to the south of Pokrovsk. They were most likely coming from newly captured territory on a key road running from the east of Pokrovsk to Kostyantynivka.
About the Author:
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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