After talking with Putin, Trump told Europeans he is convinced of Russia’s victory in Ukraine – Bloomberg

U.S. President Donald Trump, during a phone call with European leaders following his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stated that he is convinced Russia will win the war in Ukraine.

This was reported by Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the talks.

“According to people familiar with the negotiations, who declined to speak on the record about the closed-door conversation, Trump made it clear during the follow-up call with European leaders that he is convinced of Russia’s victory,” the publication states.

However, Bloomberg questions the validity of this belief, noting that “Russian forces in Ukraine have made only limited territorial gains this year.”

The article also reports that Trump has abandoned demands for a ceasefire and threats of sanctions against Russia, which has raised concerns in Europe that he is backing away from his long-touted promise to achieve a quick peace deal on Ukraine.

German tabloid Bild also confirms that Trump has dropped his call for a ceasefire in Ukraine, calling it “a 180-degree shift in Russia policy.”

“Washington is now satisfied that Moscow is willing to negotiate with Kyiv—even though Putin continues to bomb Ukraine,” the German newspaper notes.

Earlier, the outlet Axios published other details from Trump’s call with European politicians. According to their reporting, European leaders were ‘surprised and shocked’ by Trump’s refusal to impose additional sanctions on Russia.