Trump Dumps Peace Talks

Mick Ryan

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In a certain sense, Putin is even right — to end the war in Europe, we really do need to eliminate its “root causes.” It’s just that the true “root causes” aren’t the existence of Ukraine as a state and as identity, as Russian war propaganda insinuates, but rather the existence of modern Russia itself — a country where, under the complacent gaze of weak Western democracies, a fascist, oligarchic regime has flourished. Illia Ponomarenko, 20 May 2025

The U.S. President, Donald Trump, had another conversation with Russia’s president today. The two-hour conversation focused primarily on Ukraine peace negotiations but also covered other topics related to the America-Russia relationship. Trump posted a precis of his conversation with Putin on social media. Putin issued a media release through his official website. Trump’s statement was more specific about issues discussed, while Putin offered a more general description of the call.

Today’s discussion between Trump and Putin probably indicates that we are at the start of a new phase in the Ukraine War, and in negotiations over war termination. This is an initial assessment of what occurred in the phone call, the key topics discussed, and what it means for the trajectory of the war.

What Were the Key Topics?

The first, and most important topic (at least to most of us) was the peace process in Ukraine. Trump wrote that Russia and Ukraine (note Trump always preferences Russia over Ukraine when he writes about the two) will “immediately start negotiations towards a ceasefire.” In his response to the phone call between Trump and Putin, and his call afterwards with Trump, the Ukrainian president describes how:

Ukraine is ready for direct negotiations with Russia in any format that brings results. Türkiye, the Vatican, Switzerland – we are considering all possible venues. It is not necessary to convince Ukraine, and our representatives are prepared to make real decisions in negotiations. What’s needed is a mirrored readiness from Russia to engage in meaningful talks.