Diplomacy or more weapons! Donald Trump could return to Joe Biden-era pro-Kremlin policies

If the talks between Ukraine and Russia fail, US President Donald Trump could return to the policies of his predecessor Joe Biden or hand over the role of resolving the war to the Europeans. This is what international commentator Daniel DePetris wrote in his article for The Telegraph, summarizing the results of the telephone conversation between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 19.

The author of the publication emphasizes that this conversation could not lead to a diplomatic breakthrough, given the positions of Russia and Ukraine. He also notes that Trump seems increasingly frustrated by the failure of his efforts in the peace process, but he is not going to admit that the peace talks have reached a dead end.

There were hopes that the US president would issue an ultimatum to Moscow, threatening new powerful sanctions, but “Trump is hesitant to do anything with Putin that could rock the diplomatic boat“.

Trump still wants a peace agreement, and Putin has the right to veto the entire process, DePetris writes.

Analyzing possible events, the journalist asks himself whether Trump has a plan B for Ukraine if the talks between Kiev and Moscow fail. If the answer is “no”, the journalist believes that the US president's team should develop one.

In the author's opinion, there are several options. The US president could return to the policy of the Joe Biden era - supplying weapons to Ukraine, tightening sanctions against Russia and diplomatic isolation in an attempt to strengthen Kiev's negotiating position. Alternatively, Trump could withdraw from the negotiation process, accusing one or both sides of intransigence, and hand the initiative over to Europe.

The first option would be popular in the West, but this would be a recipe for another war, believes Daniel DePetris. The second option will provoke cries of righteous indignation.

"But it is still more morally justified than forcing [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky into a peace agreement he does not support", the author concludes.

Following his conversation with Putin, US President Donald Trump said that Russia and Ukraine would begin ceasefire talks "immediately", and the terms of the ceasefire would be agreed between the two sides, as "they know details of the negotiations that no one else does".

He also noted that he had informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Finnish President Aleksander Stub of the "immediate" negotiations.