JelloJuggler
Well-known member
The news that US President Donald Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday has been a shock to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of his meeting with the US leader. The call, which lasted over two hours, came as a surprise, given the worsening situation in Ukraine, where Russia has launched dozens of missiles and drones at multiple targets, including civilian infrastructure.
Ukraine is facing its fourth winter of war, with little progress made on the ground. Zelensky had hoped that Trump's meeting would yield significant benefits for his country, particularly in terms of military aid. However, Trump's willingness to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles has been a subject of doubt throughout the US presidential campaign.
The phone call between Trump and Putin appears to have reinforced Putin's skepticism about providing such aid, with both leaders agreeing that the deployment of Tomahawks would be seen as provocative by Russia. The two men also discussed trade opportunities if peace were achieved in Ukraine.
Trump's willingness to placate Putin has been a recurring theme throughout his presidency, and it remains unclear whether Zelensky will achieve his goal of securing significant military aid from the US. For now, Ukraine is facing its fourth winter of war with little respite, and the lack of progress on the ground has taken a heavy toll on civilians.
One Ukrainian woman, who was injured in a Russian strike, bluntly expressed her skepticism about Trump's ability to bring about change: "A person like Putin can't be trusted." The Ukraine-U Russia conflict has been marked by back-and-forth diplomacy and little concrete progress.
Ukraine is facing its fourth winter of war, with little progress made on the ground. Zelensky had hoped that Trump's meeting would yield significant benefits for his country, particularly in terms of military aid. However, Trump's willingness to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles has been a subject of doubt throughout the US presidential campaign.
The phone call between Trump and Putin appears to have reinforced Putin's skepticism about providing such aid, with both leaders agreeing that the deployment of Tomahawks would be seen as provocative by Russia. The two men also discussed trade opportunities if peace were achieved in Ukraine.
Trump's willingness to placate Putin has been a recurring theme throughout his presidency, and it remains unclear whether Zelensky will achieve his goal of securing significant military aid from the US. For now, Ukraine is facing its fourth winter of war with little respite, and the lack of progress on the ground has taken a heavy toll on civilians.
One Ukrainian woman, who was injured in a Russian strike, bluntly expressed her skepticism about Trump's ability to bring about change: "A person like Putin can't be trusted." The Ukraine-U Russia conflict has been marked by back-and-forth diplomacy and little concrete progress.