Trump and Putin Speak Again About Ukraine Peace
A Dangerous Game with Encrypted Words.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke again on Monday – it is already the third officially confirmed conversation between the two heads of state this year. Officially, it is about peace in Ukraine, but behind the words of the two presidents lies a diplomatic game of intrigue that goes far beyond the front lines.
A Third Conversation and an Old Conflict
Today's phone call marks a continuation of the diplomatic maneuvers that Trump has pursued since his return to the White House. Trump and Putin had already spoken on February 12 and March 18. At that time, Trump stated that both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had separately expressed a desire for peace.
But peace remains an elastic term. In the last conversation, Trump and Putin agreed on a temporary halt to attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities – a moratorium that quickly became meaningless as both sides accused each other of breaking it.
Hidden Contacts? The Shadow of Secret Diplomacy
Officially, there are three conversations. But the Kremlin hinted in March that there could be more contacts between Trump and Putin than the officially announced calls. U.S. journalist Bob Woodward reported in his book "War" (2024) that Trump had up to seven direct conversations with Putin after leaving the White House.
Trump himself downplays it, calling such conversations "smart." The Kremlin denies it. But the shadows of secret diplomacy are hard to ignore – especially when the words of the two presidents flow over encrypted lines, while interpreters weigh each word carefully.
Donald Trump portrays himself as a peacemaker. He repeatedly emphasizes that Putin "wants peace" and that Ukraine "does not have the cards" to fight Russia. It is a cynical view that frames the conflict as a chess game between great powers – with Ukraine as a mere piece on the board.
At the end of March, Trump expressed being "angry" with Putin and threatened secondary tariffs of 25% to 50% on buyers of Russian oil if Moscow obstructed his peace efforts. But at the same time, he insists that NATO membership for Ukraine is out of the question – a position that Moscow might see as a confirmation of its demands.
Vladimir Putin, whose troops control nearly a fifth of Ukraine, also speaks of peace – but his conditions are those of a victor. Ukraine must renounce NATO membership and withdraw its troops from the four regions Russia claims.
He recalls a peace agreement from 2022 that Russia and Ukraine negotiated shortly after the invasion. But what once sounded like a compromise is now a surrender document. Under a new peace plan developed by the Trump administration, the United States would de jure recognize Russian control over Crimea and de facto over parts of eastern Ukraine.
A Dangerous Peace – A World in Limbo
But what is being presented as a search for peace is, in truth, a diplomatic power struggle. For Trump, it is an opportunity to profile himself as a peacemaker; for Putin, a chance to legitimize his conquests.
European leaders are alarmed. They warn that Trump and Putin could impose a punitive peace agreement that would effectively leave Ukraine with a fifth of its territory lost, without strong security guarantees against possible future attacks.
It is a dangerous game – and Ukraine is the stake. While Trump and Putin negotiate over encrypted lines, millions of people in a war-torn country face a bleak future.
A Peace Plan at Ukraine's Expense?
Today's phone call between Trump and Putin is more than just a diplomatic exchange. It is an attempt by two great powers to negotiate the fate of a country that barely has a seat at the table.
Trump spricht vom Frieden. Putin spricht von Bedingungen. Und die Ukraine – sie hört zu, während ihr Schicksal verhandelt wird.
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