Trump appears to modify his stance towards Putin following the application of diplomatic pressure by UK and France.
Article Rewrite
Tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have heated up, following months of diplomatic efforts by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, according to Politico's May 1 reports, sourced from unnamed European government officials.
This coordinated effort, led by senior British and French officials, aimed to persuade Trump to dial back on pressure towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and instead intensify his criticism towards Putin. The argument was that Russia's actions were eroding Trump's credibility as a negotiator.
Jonathan Powell, the British National Security Advisor, and Defense Secretary John Healey, allegedly played significant roles, working hand-in-hand with U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Mark Burnett. During this time, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy reportedly had 13 conversations with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this year, while Starmer and Trump held almost as many direct conversations.
A former British ambassador, speaking anonymously, stated that London and Paris constantly conveyed to Trump that Putin was "disrespecting him by consistently breaching the ceasefire he declared."
Putin had agreed to a 30-day pause of energy infrastructure strikes during a call with Trump on March 18, supposedly ordering a halt of attacks on Ukraine's energy system. However, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi announced on April 16 that Moscow violated the partial ceasefire more than 30 times.
Zelensky reinforced this message during a brief encounter with the U.S. president at Pope Francis' funeral on April 26. Trump, allegedly, told the Ukrainian president he might need to reconsider his approach to Putin, according to Axios' report.
Trump, who fancies himself as a peace broker between Ukraine and Russia, has thus far abstained from condemning Russian strikes or implementing new punitive measures. On April 24, after Russia launched 215 missiles and drones across Ukraine - killing at least 12 civilians and wounding 87 in Kyiv - Trump labelled the attack "not necessary" and "poorly timed," directly addressing Putin with: "Vladimir, Cut it out!" Yet, he failed to outline any consequences.
In an effort to secure a ceasefire, U.S. officials have intensified their efforts, with the threat of withdrawing from mediation if progress isn't made soon. Ukraine accepted a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Washington in March, but Russia continues to reject the plan, pushing on with offensive operations.
European officials now eagerly observe whether Trump's firm stance on Putin will hold or fade as his eagerness to finalize a deal resurfaces. With ceasefire negotiations at an impasse due to Russia's insistence on preconditions that Ukraine and the U.S. reject and the Kremlin using ceasefire proposals as leverage to freeze territorial gains diplomatically rather than militarily, the road ahead remains challenging.
- Reportedly, a diplomatic effort led by senior British and French officials has toughened in an attempt to persuade President Trump to intensify his criticism towards President Putin.
- The British General News has reported that the British Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, has agreed to have 13 conversations with U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, this year, while Starmer and Trump held almost as many direct conversations.
- In the politics surrounding war-and-conflicts, particularly between Ukraine and Russia, the U.S. officials have reportedly been implementing a policy-and-legislation focused on securing a ceasefire, with the threat of withdrawing from mediation if progress isn't made soon.
- Despite President Putin agreeing to a 30-day pause of energy infrastructure strikes with President Trump, reportedly ordering a halt of attacks on Ukraine's energy system, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi announced that Moscow has allegedly violated the partial ceasefire more than 30 times.
