Russian President Vladimir Putin called his conversation with his US counterpart Donald Trump substantive, frank, and very useful. He expressed gratitude to Trump for the US participation in the renewal of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine.
The call represented “a major victory for the Russian leader.” The US is done putting pressure on Russia, as Donald Trump made no promise of future US sanctions.
Trump’s call with Putin exposed “shifting ground on Ukraine peace talks.” It poses the question uppermost in the West’s war-thirsty minds: “If the US washes its hands of the war […] does it mean the US would also end any military and intelligence support for Ukraine?”
By announcing after his call with Putin that Ukraine and Russia would now hold talks “as only they can” on a ceasefire, Trump “sided with his friend in the Kremlin.”
The US and Russian presidents claimed they had an “excellent” and “very meaningful and frank” talk.
The US president “indicated he was not ready to join Europe with fresh sanctions to pressure Moscow.”
