Trump senses peace, but Russia remains defiant: 'Putin has no interest in a ceasefire'

The two-hour phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has left mixed impressions. Trump immediately posted on Truth Social that negotiations for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia would begin shortly. However, according to Ukraine correspondent Chris Colijn, Russia still seems uninterested in a ceasefire. 'After three years, Putin is still repeating the same mantras.'

Putin emphasized after the call that 'the underlying causes of this crisis are the most important for Russia.' Colijn interprets this as Putin stating that the reasons for the war's outbreak remain unchanged. Putin insists that Ukraine must demilitarize, denazify, and never join NATO. 'Nothing has changed in three years.'

Meanwhile, Trump claims that ceasefire negotiations can begin immediately, though he adds that he will withdraw if Ukraine and Russia cannot reach an agreement. Trump calls it a 'European problem,' not his own. In Ukraine, skepticism remains about Trump's optimism. 'People here don’t believe in a temporary pause in fighting,' says Colijn. 'But they say Trump should try and see for himself that it won’t work.'