Trump is getting the Ukraine-Russia war all wrong — and he’s making it even harder on himself

It was ne'er going to beryllium easy for President Trump to bring an extremity to nan Ukraine war, but it’s moreover harder erstwhile he’s operating nether an erroneous mentation of nan conflict.

The man who instigated nan warfare and who is nan main obstacle to bid is Vladimir Putin. Yet, this force of nan West, murderer of dissidents, and serial perpetrator of wars of territorial aggrandizement has ne'er been subjected to nan aforesaid US unit run arsenic Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose basal discourtesy is to beryllium starring a state that his larger neighbour wants to subjugate.

After a much-anticipated telephone telephone pinch Putin on Monday, Trump sounded optimistic and said Ukraine and Russia will support negotiating, though location was nary denotation of thing new.

Making bully to Putin

After nan browbeating he took successful nan Oval Office a fewer months agone and a region successful US intelligence assistance, Zelensky sewage nan message.

He’s done everything imaginable to represent himself arsenic nan reasonable 1 who’s willing successful pursuing a deal.

A US-proposed wide cease-fire? Zelensky has said he’s consenting to judge it. Russia’s thought for nonstop talks successful Istanbul? Zelensky accepted (after first opposition), and said he’d spell himself.

He signed a captious minerals woody pinch nan US.

Putin, successful contrast, has been astatine nan receiving extremity of an all-carrots approach, and has reacted accordingly.

Russian President Vladimir Putin looks connected arsenic he meets pinch students astatine nan Sirius Educational Center successful Sochi connected May 19, 2025, aft a telephone telephone pinch President Donald Trump. POOL/AFP via Getty Images

One of Trump’s advantages connected nan world shape is that he tin make usage of nan “mad man theory,” nan thought that he’s truthful unpredictable and perchance utmost that it’s champion not to displease him. Against type, Trump has been little nan huffy man pinch Putin than nan therapist, who speaks successful dulcet tones, is knowing to a responsibility and is determinedly non-judgmental.

Pretty overmuch immoderate Putin does, Trump says personification other would do nan aforesaid successful his circumstances. Putin could nuke Warsaw, and Trump mightiness beryllium tempted to observe, “Well, it’s a shame and I dream he doesn’t do it again.”

Trump almost ne'er strikes a pleading tone, but erstwhile Putin launched large-scale onslaught connected Kyiv past month, Trump posted connected TruthSocial, “Vladimir, STOP!”

The play for nan Kremlin is evident here. It wants to support inching up pinch territorial gains successful war, and if it continues to drawstring on negotiations, has to dream that Trump tires of nan full point and cuts disconnected US assistance to Ukraine. That would reward Putin’s intransigence pinch a very important negotiated triumph — a divided betwixt nan US and Europe — and a chance to make awesome advances against an progressively hard-pressed Ukraine.

Trump astatine times seems to recognize this, and has referred to Putin “tapping maine along.” But nan maestro astatine establishing leverage complete different statement successful negotiations has grounded to do truthful pinch Putin. In part, this is because nan president has seemingly absorbed his MAGA base’s position that Putin isn’t nan problem — nan Russian leader was baited into warfare by foolish globalists who took insufficient relationship of Russia’s interests and feelings.

Whatever you deliberation of nan argumentation of NATO description , Ukraine didn’t invade Russia, and Putin has made it clear that Ukraine’s beingness arsenic its ain independently governed federation is astatine nan guidelines of his war.

US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky openly conflict successful nan Oval Office of nan White House connected Feb. 28, 2025. AFP via Getty Images

Blaming nan victim

So agelong arsenic Putin believes that he’s winning and holds “all of nan cards,” there’s nary logic for him to go much pliable. Trump and different management officials person floated further economical measures against Russia, but these would astir apt beryllium of constricted utility. If nan management made it clear that if Putin doesn’t driblet his maximalist demands — fundamentally for an Ukraine that can’t take sides itself — it will backmost Ukraine to nan hilt, that mightiness alteration his calculations.

Russia’s gains person travel at a hideous cost — astir a cardinal Russian casualties since nan commencement of nan war.

If Ukraine isn’t going to buckle and nan United States isn’t going to wantonness her, past nan Russians mightiness scope a constituent of exhaustion.

Short of that, Putin has each logic to deliberation he tin persevere erstwhile nan world’s superpower is inclined to blasted nan unfortunate of his unprovoked aggression.