Trump Admits: Putin Doesn't Want to End War in Ukraine Because He's Confident Russia Is Winning

On May 19, 2025, during a telephone conversation with European leaders, US President Donald Trump said that Vladimir Putin is not ready to end the war because he believes that Russia is winning, reports Air force.

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The Wall Street Journal was the first to report Trump's statement, citing three sources familiar with the conversation.

The talks took place after a two-hour telephone conversation between Trump and Putin, which both participants assessed positively. As the publication notes, European leaders had previously understood that the Russian president had no intention of stopping the war. However, this was the first time Trump had made such a statement. This contradicts his public statements, in which he has repeatedly claimed that Putin is ready for peace.

On the subject: Trump Calls Putin and Zelensky: Decided to Continue Dialogue

The White House declined to comment on the Wall Street Journal report, citing Trump's social media post in which he described the conversation with Putin.

"The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If it had not been so, I would have said so," the US president wrote at the time.

According to the publication, despite the awareness that Putin is not ready for peace, Trump has not taken the steps demanded by European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, namely, strengthening sanctions against Russia. However, the Polish publication Onet later reported that Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk did not confirm the information about Trump's statement.

"I do not confirm such a report, but I confirm that the situation is difficult, because on the Russian side there is not even a hint of goodwill for an early ceasefire and the start of honest peace negotiations," Tusk said in response to a question about Trump's words.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commented on the negotiation process in his recent address: "The Russians are not giving signals about a ceasefire, and they are not yet ready to end the war. Therefore, all our forms of pressure, all our work with partners to put pressure on Russia is absolutely necessary. Pressure convinces."

The day before his call with Putin, on May 18, Trump discussed the situation with European leaders. At the time, he hinted that he might tighten sanctions if Putin rejected the cease-fire, sources told the Wall Street Journal. But by May 19, the American president’s position had apparently changed. He expressed a desire to speed up lower-level talks between Russia and Ukraine, suggesting the Vatican as a venue.

Possible negotiations in the Vatican

After his conversation with the Russian leader, Trump said a peace deal could only be negotiated between Russia and Ukraine, possibly with the Pope as a mediator. He wrote on social media that Ukraine and Russia would “immediately begin” talks to end the war. Trump said he had a “clear red line,” adding, “There are big egos involved, but I think something will happen. And if it doesn’t, I’ll just step away and they’ll have to keep going.”

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Trump has previously expressed disappointment with both Putin and Zelensky over the delays in resolving the conflict. The idea of ​​the Vatican as a mediator was supported by Italy. The office of Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni said the country was ready to "promote contacts and work for peace" in Ukraine, praising the Pope's willingness to hold talks.

However, as the Wall Street Journal points out, there are no concrete agreements on negotiations yet. The meeting of Russian and Ukrainian officials in Istanbul last week only led to new demands from Moscow, not to progress. Pope Leo XIV noted last week that the Vatican is “always ready” to unite opponents, and he will personally make efforts for peace. At the same time, the pontiff emphasized that the idea of ​​negotiations voiced by Trump remains only a hope, not a concrete plan.

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