Europe Convinces Trump to Get Tough on Moscow and Push for Ukraine Negotiations

European leaders have persuaded U.S. President Donald Trump to change his stance on Russia. According to Politico, Trump is now prepared to “force” Moscow under pressure to enter negotiations with Kyiv over resolving the conflict. One European diplomat noted that the American leader is also ready to impose new sanctions on Russia.

“Trump is finally on our side. The question now is how do you reconcile the two approaches?”

Europe Pushes for Stronger Action

Another diplomat added that European representatives are eager to discuss with Washington how to “actually strike” Moscow. The report notes that this will require negotiating with an “unpredictable” White House on concrete measures.

Trump has repeatedly said he would prefer not to impose sanctions on Moscow. According to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, his real preference is ending the conflict in Ukraine. However, Trump has also emphasized that the situation is complicated by “personal animosity at the leadership level.” As he remarked about Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “There’s a lot of hatred, a lot.” Despite this, Trump remains convinced that he can help resolve the Ukrainian crisis.

Moscow Stresses Commitment to Dialogue

Despite the lull in direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, Moscow continues to hope for further negotiations and insists it has never abandoned dialogue. President Putin has not ruled out a personal meeting with Zelensky, noting that he has extended invitations to the Ukrainian leader several times, though they were declined. “Overall, I have never excluded the possibility of such a meeting,” Putin stated.

For his part, Trump is maintaining dialogue with both sides. He has indicated that he wants to hold another phone conversation with Putin this week. Yet, regarding his shift in policy toward Moscow, Trump has not issued any formal statements. In recent days, his attention has been occupied with other issues, including political clashes involving his supporter Charlie Kirk and discussions with Israel, which carried out strikes on Doha earlier this week.