Russia Celebrates Trump-Putin Call as Europe Voices Concern/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Russia welcomed President Donald Trump’s direct negotiations with Vladimir Putin, seeing it as a diplomatic victory, while European leaders reacted with alarm over Ukraine being sidelined. The Kremlin praised Trump for recognizing Putin as the key player in ending the war, while NATO and EU officials warned that the U.S. shift could embolden Russia. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces remain skeptical that diplomacy will lead to a meaningful resolution.
Trump-Putin Call: Quick Look
- Russia Cheers Trump’s Move: Kremlin officials celebrated Trump’s engagement with Putin, seeing it as a win for Moscow.
- Ukraine Sidelined: Trump’s direct outreach to Putin leaves Ukraine and Europe out of negotiations.
- NATO & EU Concerns: European leaders fear weakened Western unity and a shift in U.S. support for Ukraine.
- Kremlin-Controlled Media Reaction: Russian state media claimed Trump had abandoned Ukraine, calling it Zelenskyy’s “death sentence”.
- Ukraine’s Military Response: Ukrainian soldiers say diplomacy has failed before and expect the war to continue on the battlefield.
Russia Celebrates Trump-Putin Call as Europe Voices Concern
Deep Look: Russia Celebrates Trump-Putin Call While Europe Worries
The Trump-Putin phone call has sent shockwaves across Europe, as Moscow celebrates renewed diplomatic ties with Washington, while NATO allies express deep concerns about U.S. commitment to Ukraine.
Russia Sees a Diplomatic Victory
For the Kremlin, Trump’s shift in policy represents a major breakthrough. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has faced Western isolation, sanctions, and military pushback. Now, Trump’s willingness to negotiate directly with Putin signals a potential end to that isolation.
“To us, the position of the current (U.S.) administration is much more appealing,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.
Russian state media outlets, including RIA Novosti, Komsomolskaya Pravda, and high-ranking politicians, praised Trump’s move, interpreting it as a direct blow to Ukraine and European influence.
- Alexei Pushkov, a senior Russian lawmaker, declared that the call “will go down in the history of world politics and diplomacy.”
- Russian media mocked Ukraine’s exclusion from talks, stating that Trump had effectively abandoned Kyiv.
- A column in Komsomolskaya Pravda went as far as declaring that “Trump signed Zelenskyy’s death sentence.”
European & NATO Leaders Sound the Alarm
The European Union and NATO allies reacted with disbelief and concern, seeing Trump’s decision to engage Putin without Ukraine’s direct involvement as a dangerous shift in U.S. policy.
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized that the U.S. should not negotiate alone:
“Ukraine, Europe, and the United States should work on this together. TOGETHER.”
- Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna warned that Western unity must not be broken, calling for:
“More support for Ukraine and increased political and economic pressure on Russia.”
A major source of concern is that Trump’s negotiations appear to align more with Russia’s vision of the war’s outcome rather than Ukraine’s. This could mean freezing territorial gains for Russia and preventing Ukraine’s long-sought NATO membership, which the alliance had declared an “irreversible step” just last year.
Ukrainian Soldiers Remain Skeptical
On the ground, Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the Donetsk region see little hope in Trump’s negotiations. A soldier from Ukraine’s 53rd Brigade, speaking anonymously for security reasons, said that previous talks with Russia have led nowhere.
“If dialogue can influence the situation, let them talk—but only if we see real results,” the soldier said.
However, she expressed deep skepticism, stating:
“What we propose doesn’t work for them, and what they propose is unacceptable for us. This can only be resolved by force.”
What’s Next?
- Trump has not yet announced an official meeting with Putin, but Kremlin officials expect face-to-face negotiations soon.
- NATO allies will push back against any deal that excludes Ukraine or weakens Western unity.
- Russia is likely to demand sanctions relief and recognition of its territorial gains as part of any peace deal.
As diplomatic tensions rise, the fate of the Ukraine war now rests on how far Trump is willing to go in his negotiations with Putin—and whether Ukraine and its European allies will accept the outcome.
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