Sky News Analysis: Putin Outplayed and Humiliated Trump

(Patria) - The outcome of the phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump can hardly be interpreted as anything other than a failure on the US side, assessed Sky News US correspondent James Matthews.

"How can Trump portray this as anything other than his own failure? A failure in negotiations, diplomacy, and managing this conflict. If Putin has not already outplayed and humiliated Trump, then the statement coming from Moscow only further confirms the impression that he holds all the strings.

Prior to the call with Putin, the Trump administration sent messages consistent with the "America First" policy, and JD Vance stated that the US was ready to withdraw from the conflict. Putin heard this and concluded that it was worth waiting - because if the Americans give up, Ukraine will be left to further Russian advances on the ground.

Ukraine and its European allies have feared for some time that Trump is selling them out. Nevertheless, they were prepared to wait for him to deliver the grand solution he has long announced, because they know they cannot do it without the US. And now, after that crucial call, they are faced with the fact that nothing has changed, and Ukraine is in an even more difficult position.

Russia is clearly strategizing, waiting, and stalling - without any real steps forward, only with the aim of avoiding concrete actions. Despite everything Trump has said about determination and strength, in practice he has failed to achieve anything - for now, he has only offered Moscow a carrot," writes Matthews.

Ukraine and its European allies will be disappointed, even concerned, after Russia's portrayal of the phone call between Putin and Trump, assesses Sky News Moscow correspondent Ivor Bennett.

"I think European leaders and Ukraine will be very disappointed that Trump clearly did not exert greater pressure on Putin. They had hoped this would be the moment when Trump would finally put his threats into action and force Putin to move closer to a ceasefire.

According to Putin's claims, sanctions were not discussed during the conversation, and Trump even said that Russia supports a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

I believe this statement by the Russian president will cause concern among Ukraine's European allies. They will likely interpret it as further procrastination on Russia's part and an avoidance of a clear response to the demands for a 30-day ceasefire.

This call does not seem to have brought any progress towards a peace agreement, or even towards a ceasefire in Ukraine. Putin's statement that a ceasefire is possible if appropriate agreements are reached is essentially what Russia has been repeating for two months," states Bennett.