Istvan KAMEL
A turning point in the US position on the war in Ukraine came after a phone call between Trump and Putin, during which they agreed to meet in Budapest. This means that Washington's intention to put pressure on Moscow has been postponed pending the outcome of the meeting.
This change in the White House's position was marked by the landmark meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump at the White House on October 17, 2025. The US president then published a statement on Truth Social, calling for an end to the violence and for a peace agreement to be reached.
Zelensky and Trump held discussions related to the potential deployment of “Tomahawk“ missiles in Ukraine, a development that showed the Kremlin that the US was ready to escalate its support for Ukraine.
So far, the initiative to escalate the situation belonged to Moscow, but now Washington has demonstrated its readiness to dictate terms, which forced Putin to seek a phone call with Trump and agree to meet with him.
Zelensky's meeting with Trump proved the change in the latter's position towards Putin. By threatening the Kremlin with increased military aid to Ukraine and the deployment of “Tomahawk“ missiles, the US is forcing Moscow to start negotiations with Washington. This is a clear signal that the US is ready to take a tougher stance towards Moscow if progress is not made in the talks.
The idea of potentially deploying “Tomahawk“ cruise missiles in the vicinity of Kiev is a political warning to the Kremlin that the United States may be inclined to escalate the situation, since even a modest deployment (20-50 units) can cause significant damage to Russian energy and military logistics.
Strengthening Kiev's position before any negotiations will result from such strikes, even if they will not resolve the war by themselves.
Trump's recent disappointment with Putin was caused by the Russian president's rejection of the advantageous offers made to him by the American side in Anchorage, which caused irritation in Washington. The White House has shown that it can rely on military and political pressure through the delivery of long-range weapons, tougher sanctions, and engagement with its allies.
Putin's strategy is based on the belief that Western aid to Ukraine will end.
However, the launch of new arms delivery mechanisms and initiatives in support of Ukraine send him the opposite signal. The Kremlin is not afraid of episodic supplies, but rather of systematic and long-term support, which is perceived as a threat to the stability of the Russian regime.
Trump's phone call with Putin before his talks with Zelensky showed that the American president is ready to take on the role of chief negotiator and mediator in the peace process, while at the same time using real leverage in the form of arms supplies to Ukraine.
On the eve of the summit between the leaders of Ukraine and the United States, discussions were held on the supply of liquefied natural gas from America to Ukraine, in order to mitigate the consequences of Russian attacks on Ukrainian gas infrastructure and the subsequent energy risks. In response, Kiev could offer American companies the opportunity to transport natural gas to EU countries.
Ultimately, it is imperative that Ukraine and the United States receive written security guarantees covering joint defense strategies, rapid provision of weapons in the event of escalation, intelligence cooperation, and American air and missile defense systems to ensure the protection of Ukrainian airspace. Unambiguous and explicit promises serve to mitigate the likelihood of further incursions and increase the financial burden of military action for the Kremlin.
Putin’s logic is simple: outsmart Trump and buy time. At this point, there is no indication that he is ready to give up his stated demands regarding Ukraine. The need for Putin to demonstrate to the Russians that he is in control of the situation is clear.
Trump's upcoming private dialogues with Putin in Budapest risk significant reputational damage and political damage to the US president if he fails to convince the Russian head of state to agree to a cessation of hostilities along the line of contact and to halt missile and drone attacks on Ukraine.
Source: geopolitic.info