Trump is stalling

Trump may have counted on his personal contacts with Putin to achieve a breakthrough. Now, realizing that this doesn’t work, he is trying to avoid any pressure, because pressure isn’t bringing the war to an end either.

Imagine being in the U.S. president’s shoes: you impose sanctions, but first, China and India ignore them and continue buying Russian resources. Second, Putin has no intention of ending the war.

What tools do you have left?

Aid to Ukraine? Yes, it’s a tool, but it doesn’t guarantee a quick conclusion. And most importantly, it costs hundreds of billions of dollars — money Trump is not eager to spend.

As a result, he found himself in a dead end. Not because of any special fondness for Russia, but because the U.S. president genuinely lacks quick and effective tools to end the conflict.

Biden, by the way, was more realistic and understood that in the face of global changes, the U.S. no longer holds the weight it did 20–25 years ago. Trump, stuck in the past, refuses to acknowledge this, or perhaps realizes it but wants others to remain unaware.

All these swings are simply a mask for inaction. Trump is stalling. And in this, his intentions somewhat align with Putin’s: the latter is stalling to continue the war and force Ukraine into capitulation.

Trump is stalling so that it doesn’t become obvious that he is powerless. And so that, when the war ends with Ukraine’s capitulation, he can say: "This was Ukraine’s decision." And him? He did everything he could: tried negotiating with Putin, didn’t lift sanctions, helped Ukraine through Europe. "Fought for peace," in short. That Ukraine couldn’t defeat Russia? Well, "those are the realities." And he, of course, won’t miss the chance to repeat: "I warned you. Ukraine is not a country that can win a war against a state like Russia."

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About the author. Vitaly Portnikov, journalist and laureate of the Shevchenko National Prize of Ukraine.

The editorial team does not always share the opinions expressed by blog or column authors.