Ukraine
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US President Donald Trump’s phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, didn’t take a tangible step towards ending the hostilities in Ukraine, let alone finding an enduring peace. Rather, it provided further evidence of Putin’s ability to string along and outsmart Trump.
For starters, Putin sent a signal by making Trump wait for more than an hour to talk. Putin was speaking at a televised conference with Russian businesspeople and even made a joke about the delay when told the time for his call was approaching.
This was clearly designed to show his alpha status, both to Trump and the Russian public. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, was reportedly made to wait eight hours by Putin when he arrived in Moscow last week for talks.
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China Considering Sending Peacekeepers to Ukraine, German Media Say
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Trump envoy relied on Kremlin interpreter in meetings with Putin to end war in Ukraine
Using the Kremlin’s interpreter was “a very bad idea” that put Witkoff “at a real disadvantage,” Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, told NBC News.
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Zelensky, European leaders tell Trump they are ready for 30-day ceasefire
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/10/trump-russia-ukraine-ceasefire-zelensky-putin
