EU leaders requested Trump to telephone Putin due to Putin reportedly ignoring their own calls.
Fresh Take:
Donald Trump hinted at a communication breakdown between EU leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that the Kremlin boss disregards their calls. During an interview with NBC's Meet the Press, Trump said, "Yeah, the EU bigwigs have asked me to give Putty a ring plenty of times, but he doesn't seem to be answering."
However, it seems those EU leaders have engaging with Putin in indirect or direct ways. For instance, outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz managed to speak with Putin over the phone in November 2024, marking their first conversation in nearly two years. Similarly, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also had in-person meetings with Putin in 2024. Nevertheless, Trump's claim that Putin is unreachable seems questionable, given these interactions.
As Trump's self-imposed 100-day deadline to broker a settlement between Russia and Ukraine expired, the war continued unabated. Trump expressed optimism, stating, "We're fairly close" to achieving peace between Russia and Ukraine. However, the progress of these negotiations has reportedly left Trump feeling aggravated, as he accused Putin of possibly trying to sabotage the talks by not being serious about ending the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed concern over Scholz's call with Putin, fearing it could open a "Pandora's box" of further talks with Russia, potentially threatening Kyiv's strong stance. In an unusual move, Fico is also expected to attend Russia's Victory Day celebrations on May 9.
Recent EU pledges of $26 billion in military aid to Ukraine indicate hardened positions, and no significant peace talks involving the EU as a collective entity have been held. Some leaders may be seeking alternative communication channels amid the stalemate in negotiations. It seems Trump's claim that Europe is completely dependent on his mediation might be overstated.
- Despite Trump's claim, it appears Putin is not entirely unreachable, as evidenced by the phone call between Putin and outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November 2024.
- In the midst of Trump's self-imposed deadline to act as a broker for peace between Russia and Ukraine, Putin reiterated his seeming unwillingness to end the war, which Trump found aggravating.
- Amidst the stalemate in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, some EU leaders, like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, have been engaging in direct meetings with Putin.
- As war-and-conflicts politics unfold in general news, recent pledges of $26 billion in military aid from the EU to Ukraine suggest hardened positions, hinting at the possibility of some leaders seeking alternative communication channels.
