Watan-Donald Trump promised to reach a settlement that would end the war between Russia and Ukraine “within 24 hours.” However, nearly three months after his return to the White House, the conflict remains fierce, and the prospect of a resolution is unclear. Trump’s efforts to open communication channels with Moscow have weakened Ukraine’s position.
Trump failed to extract significant concessions from Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite multiple rounds of talks between American and Russian officials aimed at finding a resolution to the war, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. In contrast to the open support for Kyiv under his predecessor Joe Biden, Trump openly clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, even calling him a “dictator” and engaging in a public altercation with him in the Oval Office.
Trump’s efforts to break the Western isolation imposed on Putin in recent years have sparked outrage among Ukrainians and their Western allies. While the rapprochement between the U.S. and Russia has brought some joy to Moscow, the situation looks grim in Kyiv, where many believe that lasting peace has become a distant dream.
Trump’s Stalled Peace Efforts: A Deceptive War and Growing Frustrations in Ukraine
Timofey Milovanov, the Director of Kyiv School of Economics, told AFP, “Nothing is happening. In fact, people hear sirens every day, see bombs, and people are dying.” He added, “Putin is really deceiving everyone.”
Despite his direct communication with Putin, Trump has not made any meaningful progress toward a resolution. Russian President Putin rejected a U.S. proposal in March for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine had agreed to. Although both sides agreed to stop targeting energy facilities, this was not formalized into an agreement, and both continued to accuse each other of violating the truce. The Kremlin announced on Friday that Putin’s order on this matter had “expired.”
On the ground, Moscow has continued its gradual advance in eastern Ukraine, though at a slower pace than in late 2024. Besides pushing Ukrainian forces almost completely out of the Kursk area, Moscow’s troops have advanced to the outskirts of the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine. Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr, 22, resting in a chair in Sumy, says his opinion of Trump has always been “negative… and remains so.” He believes the U.S. president is “not a politician, but an exhibitionist.”
Washington briefly suspended its military aid to Ukraine in March, a move that surprised Kyiv and marked a break from Biden’s administration’s broad support. Trump reiterated Russian positions, such as hinting at the need for presidential elections due to Zelensky’s term ending during the war, and claiming that Zelensky’s approval among Ukrainians is only 4%.
Trump and Zelensky’s Tensions Escalate: Trump’s Criticism of Ukraine Amid Shifting U.S.-Russia Relations
Tensions between Trump and Zelensky reached unprecedented levels in February when they had a sharp exchange in front of reporters in the White House. The U.S. president accused his counterpart of not appreciating the United States, a stance that shocked his country’s allies. After the deadly strike in Sumy, Trump reiterated his criticism of Zelensky, stating that he should not have “started a war against a side 20 times bigger than you,” referring to the massive size difference between Russia and Ukraine.
Despite this, Trump has not spared Russia from criticism. He expressed his “anger” at Putin in statements to U.S. media and urged Russia to “act” to reach a settlement that would end the war. However, his tone has been more conciliatory than before, which has been well received in Russia. In March, the Kremlin stated that the shift in the U.S. position made the country more aligned with Russia’s viewpoint.
Aliza, a 20-year-old waitress living in the Russian town of Verya, said the rapprochement between Moscow and Washington gives her hope. “What I heard in the media is that there are talks between Putin and Trump, and they are very successful… I think we will be in a very good state because of that,” she said, emphasizing that “what we miss is peace.” However, her compatriot Elena Solodkaya, 37, is less optimistic, saying, “We should not place our hopes on politicians… not on Trump.”
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