Location at a glance: Trump announces Ukraine conversation – without pressure on Putin?

After his phone call with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump tries to hope for an early ceasefire. The Russian attack war against Ukraine is “a bloodbath,” said Trump – “and I think he (Putin) wants to end it”. The Republican also promised immediate negotiations in the Vatican about a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. However, Trump did not give any details – and was once again criticized not to put enough pressure on Moscow in his peace efforts.

The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj emphasized that he rejected possible Russian conditions for a ceasefire such as the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from annexed areas in his own country. “If Russia makes our troops off our country, it means that they do not want ceasefire and no end of the war,” said Selenskyj in Kiev. The constitutional function of the Ukrainian army is the protection of its own territory. “Nobody will pull off our troops from our area.”

The Kremlin has repeatedly emphasized that he consists of peace discussions on a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the four areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Saporischschja and Cherson, which are only partially controlled by Russia. Ukraine has been fighting against the Russian invasion for more than three years with western support. However, Kiev and its European allies fear that the US government could hire their help and withdraw from the peace efforts.

Trump and Putin talked together for around two hours on Monday. “The negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are immediately accepted,” Trump then announced. Regarding the efforts to end at the end of the war, he said in the White House: “I think we have a good chance to do it. I think Putin wants that.” He would not strive for a peace solution if he were not convinced of it, Trump said.

Report: European allies disappointed by Trump

However, there are doubts about this presentation. In a phone call with European heads of state and government that followed Putin, they would have given the impression that the US President was not willing to force the Kremlin chief to the negotiating table through greater pressure- so it reports the “Financial Times”, citing a source familiar with the conversation. According to this, Trump did not promise any further sanctions against Russia. According to the US broadcaster CNN, he justified this to reporters that there was a chance in the current phase to find the efforts.

In Brussels, the EU’s 17th sanction package is expected on Tuesday. “The (sanction) package of Europe will come and it will be strong,” said Selenskyj. There are already agreements and data. In addition, he expected another sanction package if the Russian side should not be ready to hire the fighting. He also hopes for new punitive measures on the part of the United States – which, according to “Financial Times”, should not exist at first.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) wrote on X that Europe and the United States wanted to “closely accompany Ukraine on the way to a ceasefire”. “Europe will increase the pressure on Moscow through sanctions” – this was agreed with the US President after his phone call with Putin.

Although Western states have imposed economic and financial forced measures against Russia in several steps, the Kremlin has so far continued the war unabated. Thanks to the booming armaments industry, the Russian economy sometimes shows higher growth rates than those of the EU countries.

Possible memorandum – selenskyj demands information

After the conversation, Putin said that Russia was ready to work on a memorandum with Ukraine that would include an armistice. Moscow wants to end the fighting, but the most effective way to peace must be found. To do this, Kyiv and Moscow would have to compromise that meets all sides, said Putin. In his opinion, he did not say what these compromises should look like. Selenskyj said that he is now expecting details about Putin’s memorandum.

According to the Russian news agency Tass, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskow emphasized that there was no time frame for the preparation of the memorandum. “There are no deadlines and there can be none,” he said. It is clear that everyone wants to get as soon as possible, but “the devil is in detail”. Peskow also said that the place for new contacts with Kiev was not set, even if the Kremlin knew the Vatican proposal.

Ex-ambassador: Putin sees dollar signs in Trump’s eyes

Rüdiger von Fritsch, German ambassador in Russia from 2014 to 2019, regarded the phone call of the two presidents as a point for Putin. “According to everything we know so far, we cannot see that Russia has moved somehow, and that it, and that seems more important to me, sees reason to have to move in the future,” said von Fritsch in the ARD “daily topics”.

Putin knew that Trump was willing to sacrifice a lot for an end to the conflict – including the interests of Ukraine. It is also noteworthy that Trump spoke “again” of future American-Russian trade relationships. “He sees the dollar signs in Trump’s eyes,” said von Fritsch about the Kremlin chief, who exploits the US President’s profit greed.

Does Trump meet Putin?

According to Kremlin, Putin and Trump once again talked about a possible personal meeting. “Both presidents are interested in such a meeting. But both presidents are also interested in the fact that this meeting is not empty, but result -oriented,” said Putin’s foreign policy advisor Juri Uschakow, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. Last week, Trump had said that before a personal meeting with Putin, he was not expecting a real movement in the Ukraine talks.

Direct conversations between Russia and Ukraine had last existed in Turkey on Friday – for the first time in three years. Both sides agreed a large prisoner exchange. But the big throw was not successful – also because Putin was missing at the meeting he had proposed himself. There was no agreement on the subject of ceasefire.

Selenskyj was open to further conversations of rank -high negotiators from the USA, Ukraine, Russia and European countries. Such meetings could take place in Turkey or Switzerland – or in the Vatican.