Putin assures Trump he has no plans to attack the EU

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered deals to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in exchange for ending the war he is waging against Ukraine and, indirectly, against the West. During Tuesday’s phone call— the 15th between the two leaders in the past 18 months, amid a wave of Russian sabotage — Putin denied any Kremlin plans to attack the European Union and offered Trump several suggestions to hasten an end to the conflict.

The Russian leader told the Republican that “speculation about the Russian threat serves as a pretext for the European Union to increase its military spending and support for Ukraine,” according to a subsequent statement by Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov. “In light of speculation about Russia’s alleged hostile intentions toward European states, it was emphasized that we have no aggressive plans against Europe,” the diplomat added.

The Kremlin once again denied that it poses a threat to Europe, despite the increase in Russian hybrid attacks on the EU. The most recent occurred in Germany, where intelligence services identified two Russian suspects in a failed attack involving explosive drones at the Leipzig airport.

Moldova, a country seeking to join the European Union and facing pressure from the Kremlin, also reported on Tuesday a new violation of its airspace by another Russian Shahed drone. Authorities restricted flights at the Chisinau airport in response to this threat.

Putin himself and his government have repeatedly stated that their invasion of Ukraine is part of a broader conflict between Russia and the West. For the Russian leader, this war is an ideological crusade against Kyiv, which, as he does Europe, he brands as “Nazi.”

The U.S. administration is intent on convincing Putin through financial incentives. “Donald Trump emphasized that a swift resolution of the conflict would be desirable, which would immediately open up significant prospects for the full restoration of relations between the United States and Russia,” Ushakov later reported, noting that the Republican still hopes to convince the Kremlin to abandon its personal crusade through business opportunities: “In Trump’s view, this would have a particular impact on economic ties, promising enormous benefits for both countries. He is interested in making progress [in resolving the Ukrainian conflict] during his presidency.”

A one-hour call

The presidents focused their hour-long conversation on the negotiations held over the weekend by White House envoys in Moscow and Kyiv — businessman Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. “The results of the visit were viewed positively,” Ushakov noted. “Work through this channel, as well as through others, will continue.”

The Kremlin revealed that Putin “discussed” with Trump “the measures the Americans could take to quickly bring an end to military operations.” However, it did not provide details on the proposals offered to Washington. So far, Moscow has demanded that the West stop providing aid to Kyiv, and that Ukraine disarm, hand over the entire Donbas region, and establish a pro-Russian government.

“An objective and comprehensive analysis of what is currently happening in the special military operation was provided,” Ushakov stated. According to the Kremlin, its forces are advancing steadily on the front lines, although analysts and pro-Russian media outlets have recently alleged that many videos of conquests announced by the Ministry of Defense were not real but were recreated using artificial intelligence.

The greatest advance Russia has made since negotiations were suspended in February has been to push the front-line “gray zone” to within about six miles of the city of Sloviansk, in the Donetsk region, at the cost of thousands more casualties. In addition, Ukraine has dealt a severe blow to the Russian economy with a sustained bombing campaign targeting its refineries and logistics centers. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied this past week that it needs to carry out a mobilization to prolong the war, although pressure to enlist in the army has increased, and preparations for a potential mass draft have been in place since the summer.

For its part, Washington has revised its proposed peace plan for Ukraine. Anna Skorojod, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, stated on Tuesday that the conditions are “worse”: “Whereas before no constitutional amendments or territorial recognition were required, now they are,” she revealed.

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