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Trump talked to Putin for two hours - did it work? - update: apparently not [1]

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Date: 2025-05-19

Trump had this call scheduled over the weekend and did a Truth Social preview. Now it's happened as promised and Trump thinks a real ceasefire will occur after negotiations. Zelenskyy has said a ceasefire should happen unconditionally. Negotiations are for after the ceasefire is in place. Reporting on Friday was that members of the European Union found Russia's demands unacceptable.

Trump is confident, but it would have been better if it had been the three of them had been on the same call. Putin and Zelenskyy both speak Russian. Trump is the only one in need of a translator.

We won't get a real readout of the conversation. We only get Trump's assessment of it.

"I think it went very well."

We all know how good Trump's thinking is. His assessment of conversations when he's been made a fool of doesn't bode well.

"Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations towards a Ceasefire, and more importantly and END to the War."

Again, the ceasefire should happen before any negotiations.

"The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If it wasn't, I would say so now, rather than later."

Unless you've changed the bargaining chips, Ukraine is going to lose territory. Back at the end of March, Trump basically gave away the store.

"Russia wants to do largescale TRADE with the United States..."

If true, that's a good item to throw into the mix.

"There is a tremendous opportunity to create massive amounts of jobs and wealth."

Considering how their economy has been almost completely shut down from all the sanctions, that's probably true. The thing is, we didn't have a good business relationship before the war started. The 2014 invasion and annexation of Crimea has kept things tense ever since.

"Its potential is UNLIMITED."

When you are starting from scratch, that's probably true.

"Likewise, Ukraine can be a great beneficiary on TRADE, in the process of rebuilding its Country."

The negotiations are to begin immediately, which Trump informed Zelenskyy of, along with a good number of European leaders. What we don't know is how long the phone call with Zelenskyy lasted. Trump also mentions the Pope offering the Vatican to be a negotiating venue. The Pope offered that to Zelenskyy yesterday during Zelenskyy's visit (X post).

"Let the process begin!"

Yes, let's hope so. The first hurdle is the ceasefire. Zelenskyy has said it has to happen before anything else is done. Putin has promised ceasefires since Easter, and then broken them. How trustworthy is he this time?

Zelenskyy has said Crimea is non-negotiable. It has to returned. Ukraine could not accept US recognition of Crimea as part of Russia. All other annexed territories have to be returned. Ukraine wants every thing back to before 2014. Russia would get nothing for all their effort, and that's the way it should be. The reality is that there has to be give and take in a negotiation. How much is Ukraine willing to give and how little is Russia willing to take?

With all the things that Trump has gotten wrong about our own country, is it possible for him to accomplish something on the world stage that doesn't insult our allies, and make our enemies laugh?

I sure hope this works, because this war has gone on way too long. An end to it will bring up many more problems to solve. There is both Putin and his army's war crimes to deal with. There are all the children that were kidnapped and taken to Russia, still another war crime.

This is not going to be just a forgive and forget. It'll be the aftermath of a war. Too many people have died to ignore what happened. Too many war crimes to ignore. Negotiations could easily turn acrimonious.

Let's just hope something works for once.

___________________________

Update:

Putin talked to Russian reporters after the phone call with Trump only with platitudes about resolving the conflict. It was like the phone call never happened.

Zelenskyy urged the U.S. not to distance itself from talks.

He also suggested a "high level" meeting between Ukraine, Russia, the EU, the US and the U.K.

We need to remember that Trump was going to end the war in 24 hours before he was elected, 24 hours after he was elected, 24 hours after he took office, then within the first 100 days, and then the timeline disappeared.

After two phone calls with Trump, Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not withdraw from its own territories. He was still committed to a prisoner exchange.

Two things Zelenskyy is not getting from Trump is condemning Putin for his continued invasion and further sanctions to get Putin to negotiate.

Marco Rubio was in on the call on his way back from Europe.

Putin did not even clear anything from his calendar to take the call. He phoned in while at a school for the gifted in Sochi while doing a tour of the facilities. Putin still does not seem to be taking Trump or negotiations seriously.

Putin is taking his critics seriously, just like Trump. On Monday. the Russian Prosecutor General' Office labeled Amnesty International an "undesirable organization." Accusing them of being Russophobic and trying to prolong the war and supporting the Ukrainian neo-Nazis. Been a long time since the neo-Nazi propaganda was heard, but it's still trotted out when needed.

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