“Trump Takes a Tougher Stance on Putin, But Hasn’t Increased Aid to Ukraine”

“The Bromance Is Over—For Now—But It’s Unclear How Far Trump Will Push Back Against Putin”

Trump’s relationship with Putin has cooled since taking office, and his pressure on Russia to end its conflict with Ukraine remains unrevealed. Trump has been warning that the Russian president is destroying his nation by protracted conflict. He pledged to put a halt to the fighting at least 24 hours after he took office, and the clock is ticking on Trump’s promise to halt a costly and disastrous war that started almost three years ago when Russia invaded its democratic neighbor.

Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his Ukrainian equivalent, must meet and negotiate a peace agreement for Trump, which implies Russia must give up its ambition to annex Ukraine. Trump told the World Economic Forum three days after taking office that Ukraine is willing to negotiate, but Russia, too? He answered, “Well, you’ll have to ask Russia.” National security analysts argue that Trump must convince Putin that fighting on Ukraine is pointless for peace talks to occur.

It’s uncertain how far Trump will push Russia over Ukraine and if he will be willing to provide military aid to Kyiv, including long-range missiles. Trump can use a number of strategies that could persuade Putin to halt the conflict. A source close to the Kyiv government and former U.S. and Ukrainian officials say Trump’s advisers and Cabinet members disagree about how much pressure to apply.

A person with knowledge of the situation said that the Trump administration temporarily halted the delivery of weaponry to Ukraine last week, although it was not clear why. Since then, shipments have started up again.