Trump hopes to flatter Putin into negotiating on Ukraine, experts say

Key Points:

• President Donald Trump has recently taken steps that strengthen Russia’s position and may help rehabilitate Vladimir Putin’s international reputation, as part of his effort to end the Russia-Ukraine war by enticing Putin to negotiate.
• Trump’s lead negotiator, Steve Witkoff, controversially called Putin “a humanitarian” following the release of an American detainee, drawing strong criticism from Republican lawmakers who view Putin as an aggressor and warmonger.
• Trump has expressed increased criticism of Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy while showing cordiality toward Putin, aiming to position himself as a neutral mediator to bring Russia to the negotiating table, though experts doubt the strategy’s effectiveness without clear leverage.
• Trump has taken actions such as thanking Putin for releasing diesel fuel to global markets, inviting him to the G20 summit at his golf resort, and proposing a trilateral meeting with Putin and Xi Jinping, moves seen as attempts to reintegrate Putin into the global community.
• European officials express concern that any peace deal brokered by Trump might reward Russian aggression by allowing territorial concessions from Ukraine, potentially encouraging further threats, while Trump’s recent waiver of sanctions on Russia has drawn bipartisan criticism.