Putin

Trump Offers Putin a Path Back

One phone call cannot end the war in Ukraine overnight. It will not immediately bring peace, nor will it erase years of conflict and global condemnation. However, the conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2025 marks a significant shift in international diplomacy.

The call, which Trump has described as the first step toward resolving the war, signals a new era in U.S.-Russia relations—one that sharply contrasts with the diplomatic isolation Putin faced under the Biden administration. For the Russian leader, this moment is more than just a conversation; it is an opportunity to return to the global stage and negotiate directly with the United States on Ukraine, potentially sidelining Kyiv and European allies in the process.

From Pariah to Negotiator: Putin’s Diplomatic Victory

Just three years ago, Vladimir Putin was politically isolated. His decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered a massive international backlash. The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned Russia’s actions, labeling them an “unlawful use of force against Ukraine.” Thousands of international sanctions were imposed on Russia, targeting its economy, industries, and key political figures.

The following year, in 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin, citing war crimes committed in occupied Ukrainian territories. At the time, the U.S. government under President Joe Biden left no room for diplomatic engagement. Biden openly called Putin a “murderous dictator” and a “pure thug,” signaling that the U.S. had no intention of engaging with the Russian leader on friendly terms.

For nearly three years, there were no direct phone calls between the leaders of Russia and the United States. Russia was pushed further into diplomatic isolation, aligning itself more closely with China, North Korea, and Iran while facing growing economic struggles due to Western sanctions.

Fast forward to 2025, and the landscape has changed dramatically. With Trump back in the White House, the U.S. stance on Russia has undergone a radical transformation. Trump has expressed his willingness to “work together, very closely” with Putin to end the war in Ukraine. He has even suggested that the two leaders will be “visiting each other’s nations” in the near future—a striking departure from the diplomatic freeze of previous years.

For Putin, this phone call represents a significant diplomatic victory. It allows him to engage in direct negotiations with the United States, potentially reshaping the future of the war and the geopolitical balance in Eastern Europe. The Russian leader has wasted no time in seizing the opportunity, inviting Trump to Moscow—a move that, if accepted, would mark the first visit by a U.S. president to Russia in more than a decade.

The Uncertain Road to Peace

While Trump has announced that negotiations on Ukraine will begin “immediately” following his conversation with Putin, major questions remain about the nature and outcome of these talks.

The Russian government has repeatedly claimed that Moscow is ready for peace talks, but its conditions remain largely unchanged since Putin’s so-called “peace proposal” of June 2024. That proposal, however, is widely seen not as a true peace plan but as an ultimatum.

Under Putin’s terms, Russia would retain control over all Ukrainian territories it has seized since the war began—and would also gain additional land still under Ukrainian control. Additionally, Ukraine would be permanently blocked from joining NATO, ensuring that it remains within Russia’s sphere of influence. In exchange, Western nations would be required to lift all sanctions against Russia.

The response from Kyiv and its allies has been clear: Putin’s proposal is unacceptable. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly stated that peace cannot come at the cost of territorial concessions or national sovereignty. Western nations, including the European Union and the United Kingdom, have also expressed strong opposition to any agreement that would legitimize Russia’s territorial gains through military force.

As a Russian newspaper bluntly summarized earlier this week:

“Russia is ready for talks. But on its terms. If you drop the diplomatic language, essentially that is called an ultimatum.”

The Implications of a Trump-Putin Meeting

If Trump accepts Putin’s invitation to Moscow, it would signal a major shift in U.S.-Russia relations and could redefine the approach to the Ukraine war.

An American president has not visited Russia since Barack Obama attended the G20 summit in St. Petersburg in 2013. A meeting between Trump and Putin on Russian soil would be seen as a diplomatic triumph for the Kremlin, reinforcing Putin’s image as a global power player who can negotiate directly with the leader of the world’s most powerful country.

However, such a meeting would also spark controversy and concern among U.S. allies. European nations, which have supported Ukraine militarily and financially since the start of the war, may fear that the United States is prioritizing its relationship with Russia over its commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Meanwhile, within the U.S., critics of Trump’s foreign policy may argue that engaging with Putin in this manner risks legitimizing Russia’s aggression and undermines the international coalition that has sought to hold the Kremlin accountable for its actions.

A High-Stakes Diplomatic Gamble

The Trump-Putin phone call marks the beginning of a new chapter in international diplomacy. For Putin, it is a chance to reassert Russia’s influence and negotiate from a position of strength. For Trump, it is an opportunity to shape his own legacy by attempting to broker a deal that could end one of the most significant conflicts of the 21st century.

But whether these talks will lead to genuine peace or simply reinforce Russia’s territorial ambitions remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that the world is watching closely as the dynamics between Washington and Moscow take a dramatic turn.

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