Many Russians cheered President Trump’s election because they thought he could make a deal for a negotiated peace in Ukraine that would satisfy the Kremlin. Three months into Mr. Trump’s second term, the disappointment in Moscow is palpable. In interviews, people in the Kremlin’s orbit have revealed frustration both with Mr. Trump’s whirlwind approach to the talks and with President Vladimir V. Putin’s apparent inflexibility in the negotiations. With Mr. Trump and his top diplomat warning on Friday that the United States could walk away from the discussion, some of them fear that a collapse in talks could lead to a further escalation of the fighting. In the meantime, he said, Mr. Putin “is just fighting, he’s seizing the moment.

Source: The Times April 20, 2025 23:35 UTC