What is Going On? 

Diya Ravi

May 23, 2025

On May 19, after a two-hour conversation with Putin, Trump took to social media to declare that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately start negotiations” for a ceasefire and eventual peace agreement. Yet, he emphasized that the terms of peace “will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be,” effectively removing the U.S. from any direct mediating role. Trump mentioned that the Vatican was “very interested in hosting the negotiations,” and suggested that Europe had been informed. But the message was clear: America was stepping back.

This announcement follows a predictable breakdown in the first direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in more than three years, held on May 16. That meeting ended without progress, reinforcing the view that Moscow is unwilling to make any concessions. Russia continues to demand that Ukraine agree to neutrality, accept territorial losses, and, in effect, renounce its sovereignty—terms that Kyiv sees as impossible to accept. Just one day before the Trump-Putin call, Russia launched its largest drone strike of the war, hitting several Ukrainian regions, including Kyiv. The Kremlin’s aggressive posture has not softened.

In this context, Trump’s decision to remove the U.S. from the center of negotiations has alarmed Ukraine and its allies. Vice President J.D. Vance reinforced this shift by telling reporters that the U.S. might end its shuttle diplomacy entirely. The implication is that the U.S. no longer sees the war as a vital interest—or at least, not worth confronting Russia over. While Trump once claimed he could end the war in 24 hours, his current approach leans more toward appeasement than resolution.

Putin, for his part, emerged from the call emboldened. He reiterated vague offers to work on a “possible future peace agreement,” while continuing brutal military campaigns, including Russia’s largest drone strike of the war just a day earlier. Meanwhile, Trump praised the “tone and spirit” of the call and suggested optimism about “large-scale trade” with Russia. 

The sequence of Trump’s calls—speaking to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before Putin, but only briefing European leaders after—signals a sidelining of key allies. Zelensky urged Trump not to make decisions “without us,” but the U.S. president’s actions suggested otherwise. 

In short, Trump may be trading long-term strategic interests for short-term optics. As one conflict deepens and alliances fray, critics argue that Trump’s retreat from Ukraine might bring a symbolic breakthrough—but at a potentially disastrous cost.