Investing.com-- President Donald Trump told European leaders in a private call on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not believe the war in Ukraine should end because he thinks he is winning, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing three people familiar with the discussion.
The comment, which reportedly came during a conference call that included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and other European leaders, marked a notable shift from Trump’s past public statements, where he suggested Putin was open to peace, the WSJ report said.
Trump had on Monday publicly announced that Russia and Ukraine would immediately begin ceasefire negotiations to end the ongoing war.
“I believe it went very well. Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,” Trump had said after talks with his Russian counterpart.
While the call with European leaders helped clarify Putin’s stance, it did not lead Trump to endorse tougher measures, the WSJ reported.
According to the report, Trump declined to back new sanctions on Russia and instead proposed restarting lower-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican. Talks are now expected to begin in mid-June.
Before his 2-hour call with Putin, Trump had told European leaders on Sunday that sanctions could be used to pressure Putin, but by Monday, he appeared to back off that position, the report added.
European officials viewed the talks as a partial success, helping establish that Putin remains unwilling to halt the conflict. The leaders now believe they must shoulder more responsibility for supporting Ukraine, the WSJ report added.