Although some people considered US President Donald Trump's recent statements as “a signal that he may be losing patience with the Russian leader”, on Thursday, shortly before receiving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, the US leader talked for over two hours by phone with Vladimir Putin – “Die Zeit” journalists note.
“The direct result of this conversation is the appointment of a joint meeting of the US and Russian leaders in Budapest, and the indirect result is the burying of Ukrainians' hopes that Trump will actually lose patience with Putin,” we read.
“After this telephone conversation, it is difficult to expect that President Volodymyr Zelensky will leave Washington on Friday with a promise to deliver Tomahawk cruise missiles,” says “Die Zeit”.
The weekly's correspondent writes from Washington that Ukrainians “were completely surprised by the announcement of the Trump-Putin summit.” And this “once again shows how much the US government does not perceive the authorities in Kiev as an equal negotiating partner.”
“Europeans may also feel offended that the most unruly EU country was chosen as the venue for the meeting, and the other countries were again not included in the process,” he adds.
“Die Zeit” reminds that in May, Hungary decided to no longer recognize the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, formal exit will take place only in mid-2026. Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced that the Russian president would be able to come to Hungary, which “shows how little he values multilateral formats.”
The German newspaper notes that until now it was expected that Zelensky in Washington would pressure Trump for the deliveries of Tomahawks. “So, was (talking about Tomahawks) just a big bluff by Trump, intended to persuade Putin to enter into peace talks? It's possible,” he adds.
At the same time, he warns: “it is also possible that the Russian president has once again shown what he is best at – manipulating Trump into abandoning a more aggressive course.”
The article ends with the conclusion that Putin is not ending the war because “no one is still really forcing him to do so.”
