In the latest twist in the long and brutal war in Ukraine, US President Donald Trump has once again injected himself into the peace process ~ this time, after a twohour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Emerging from the conversation, Mr Trump struck a notably optimistic tone, declaring that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately” begin negotiating a ceasefire. But beneath the headline-grabbing optimism lies a far murkier reality. Mr Trump’s public stance has shifted repeatedly. From grandstanding claims of ending the war in “24 hours” to now acknowledging that peace terms must be negotiated directly between Russia and Ukraine, his latest position seems more like a diplomatic hedge than a strategy.

His openness to involving the Pope in talks appears less a serious proposal than a symbolic gesture ~ one that underscores the lack of concrete direction. It’s a far cry from actionable diplomacy. Mr Putin has remained consistent ~ if evasive. He reiterated Russia’s readiness to explore a “memorandum on a possible future peace agreement.” This phrasing is deliberately vague. It reflects a well-worn tactic: engage in just enough dialogue to stall pressure while continuing military operations on the ground. That Russia launched its largest drone strike of the war just before the call only reinforces the sense that Moscow remains committed to shaping facts on the battlefield, not around the negotiating table.

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Despite the headlines, there is no ceasefire ~ only the idea of talks. And even they rest on ambiguous phrasing and divergent agendas, leaving both clarity and urgency sorely lacking in what should be a decisive moment for diplomacy. One cannot help but detect a deeper signal in Mr Trump’s evolving rhetoric. By suggesting that he might “back away” if egos get in the way, he is opening the door to a potential US withdrawal from active diplomatic or even military engagement in Ukraine. Such a move would have massive consequences. Without US support ~ military, financial, and intelligence ~ Ukraine would find itself in a vastly weakened position. For Russia, this could be a welcome shift in the balance of power. Mr Trump’s approach appears disinterestedly transactional, viewing the conflict through the lens of deal-making rather than as a moral or strategic commitment.

Promises of reduced sanctions and new trade deals for Russia in exchange for peace suggest a desire to “buy” a resolution, possibly at the expense of Ukrainian sovereignty or justice. Notably absent from the conversation are any credible threats of consequences should Russia fail to act in good faith. While dialogue between adversaries is never a bad thing, peace without principle is not peace ~ it is capitulation. The war in Ukraine is not simply a territorial dispute; it is a fight over the future of international norms, of sovereignty, and of deterrence. If the United States signals a retreat from that fight under the guise of peace-making, it may win applause from isolationists at home ~ but the world will be watching what, if anything, is left of American leadership.