Eleven days ago, European leaders took heart when U.S. President Donald Trump called for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine and threatened new sanctions on Russia. A phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday revealed those hopes were misplaced.
After two hours on the phone with Putin, Trump wrote a social media post saying Ukraine and Russia would "immediately start negotiations” toward a ceasefire — but apparently without the U.S. There was no sanctions threat, no demand for a time-line, and no pressure on the Russian leader.
Trump followed the Putin call by reaching out to European leaders, but already several governments were airing their disappointment. After months of failing to move Putin closer to peace, they fear Trump is pulling the plug on his efforts to end the war, leaving Ukraine and its allies on their own.
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