Trump privately told Europe that Putin does not want to end war with Ukraine: Report

US President Donald Trump has privately told European leaders that Vladimir Putin does not want to end the Russian war on Ukraine, according to a report.

The development has come at a time when Trump has rebuffed Ukraine and Europe by endorsing Putin’s position on the war. Weeks after ending the shuttle diplomacy, he has now indicated that he could end the US mediation completely.

Following a call with Putin on Monday, Trump told European leaders on that Putin does not want to end the war as he thinks he is winning, according to Wall Street Journal.

Ahead of the call, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders had urged Trump to press Putin to agree to his longstanding demand for a 30-day ceasefire. However, Trump gave up his own demand and instead endorsed position of direct talks with Ukraine.

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Trump’s endorsement of direct talks amounted to a blow to Ukraine and Europe as it is an open secret that Putin has used direct talks to extend the conflict in a bid to tire out Ukraine’s partners — the United States is already tired.

Trump accepts Putin doesn’t want peace — yet continues to appease him

Even though Trump has privately admitted that Putin does not want peace, he has not done anything to punish Putin or push him towards a compromise.

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Instead, Trump has continued to appease him by endorsing his position on the war. Soon after Trump called for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in an endorsement of Putin’s position, the emboldened Russian leader reiterated his maximalist demands that would mean the end of Ukraine’s sovereignty if accepted.

Putin said that he remained willing to draft a memorandum with Ukraine for the peace process but maintained that “root causes” would have to be addressed for the war to end. “Root causes” is a euphemism for Putin’s maximalist demands, such as the recognition of all Ukrainian provinces that Russia has annexed and other territories that it controls; the ouster of Zelenskyy and his administration; amendment of the Ukrainian constitution to put limits on its military, include Russian in the nation’s cultural affairs, and rule out its membership of Nato; put limits on foreign military partnerships of Ukraine; etc.

ALSO READ: Russia rejects Trump's ceasefire proposal, lists maximalist demands

Putin has also rejected European leaders’ call to impose harsher sanctions on Russia.

The Journal reported that Trump indicated in a call with European leaders on Sunday that he could impose sanctions on Putin if he refused a ceasefire.

The next day, however, Trump dashed hopes of sanctions and showed the world that he continues to be on the same page with Putin by endorsing his position.

Trump had indicated on Sunday that he would dispatch Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Keith Kellogg for talks, but said on Monday that he could withdraw from talks altogether, according to the newspaper.

In the call on Sunday, Trump also rejected the call for an “unconditional” ceasefire that European leaders had made, as per the newspaper.

The report said that Trump stressed that he had never used the world “unconditional” even though he did.

Trump has so far floated three ceasefire proposals. While Russia has rejected all of them, Ukraine has accepted all of them. Yet it is Ukraine that often finds itself at the receiving end of Trump’s flak.