Putin will not end the war - Trump

The admission confirmed what European leaders have long believed about Putin, but it was the first time they heard it from Trump's mouth. It also contradicted Trump's public statements, where he has repeatedly asserted that Putin is sincere in his desire for peace, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Despite this, Trump has not agreed to demands from President Vladimir Zelensky and European leaders to increase pressure on Russia.

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On Sunday, ahead of his two-hour conversation with Putin, Trump spoke with European leaders during which he said he might impose sanctions if Russia rejects a cease-fire.

On Monday, he changed his stance again and was not prepared to take such action.

"This is not my war. We got involved in something we shouldn't have been involved in," Trump said after his conversation with Putin.

While the attempt did not result in new sanctions, Europeans did see some positives. The process helped clarify for everyone, including Trump, Putin's position: for now, he is not ready to stop the war. For Europe, it was a confirmation that support for Ukraine largely falls on their shoulders. According to sources, Europe believes that the Trump administration will not stop U.S. arms exports as long as they are paid for by Europe or Ukraine.

The day before, during a separate Sunday conversation with Macron, Merz, Meloni and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump announced that he would send Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Keith Kellogg to upcoming talks at the Vatican. In the same Sunday conversation, Trump suggested the possibility of sanctions against Russia's energy and financial sectors.

The very next day, however, he showed less enthusiasm for U.S. involvement.

During the conversation, European leaders insisted that the outcome of any talks at the Vatican must be an unconditional ceasefire. But Trump again refrained, saying he did not like the word “unconditional.” He noted that he has never used the term, though he actually used it in a post on his Truth Social network on May 8, when he called for a 30-day ceasefire.

Photo: Facebook.

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