U.S. President Donald Trump informed European leaders in a phone call that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not ready” to end the war in Ukraine, believing he is in a position of strength, according to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal.
The report marks Trump’s first direct acknowledgment to European counterparts of Putin’s current stance. While the assessment aligns with what many leaders already suspected, it contradicts Trump’s earlier public statements in which he claimed Putin “really wants peace.”
The call reportedly included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The Kremlin has denied accusations that it is stalling peace talks. Meanwhile, Moscow and Kyiv are expected to present their respective conditions for a ceasefire as part of ongoing diplomacy supported by Washington.
Ukrainian President Zelensky reiterated that Russia is “trying to buy time to continue its war and occupation” of Ukrainian territory.
