United States President Donald Trump has repeatedly changed his position on Ukraine to accommodate Russian President Vladimir Putin, even though the Russian dictator has given little in return. At the same time, officials in the White House still hope that Putin will take steps towards a peace agreement, Axios reports, UNN writes.
Details
Trump's critics argue that he is being deceived - that Putin has no intention of making peace. But White House officials tell Axios that they still believe Putin is going to take tangible steps toward a deal.
So far, Trump has given Putin much of what the Russian president had hoped for: no ceasefire, no sanctions, division within NATO, and considerable freedom of action from a US leader not known for his patience.
From time to time, Trump has admitted that Putin might "hook me up" and even threatened sanctions or duties if Putin continues to obstruct the peace process.
But after speaking with Putin on Monday, Trump showed more respect for Putin than ever - dismissing calls for sanctions, stepping away from the role of mediator in favor of a format Putin prefers, and proclaiming Russia's willingness to express its demands for peace as a diplomatic coup.
Trump has offered to hold peace talks at the Vatican, and White House officials have said the Russians will arrive with a "peace memorandum" outlining Moscow's vision for a ceasefire and a broader deal to end the war.
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But on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, while confirming that Russia is preparing such a document, rejected the idea of a meeting in the Vatican, saying it would not be an appropriate place for a meeting between two Orthodox Christian countries.
For now, Ukrainian officials say they have no information on when and where the next round of talks will take place after the first meeting a week ago in Istanbul.
Russia carried out one of its largest drone and missile attacks on Kyiv to date on Saturday night, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed it proved Putin was prolonging the war and urgently needed additional sanctions.
The UK and the EU announced new sanctions against Russia this week after Putin again rejected Trump's ceasefire proposal. They had hoped the US would join, but Trump refused.
Trump's respect for Putin after Monday's conversation puzzled allied leaders who later joined a conference call with him.
As Moscow continued to slow down the peace process, which in Trump's initial words would be completed within 24 hours, the US president seemed more inclined to abandon the talks altogether than to harshly attack Putin.
Addition
According to the WSJ, Trump told European leaders that Putin does not want peace because he thinks he is winning. Trump also offered to hold talks between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican.