Sources close to the American leader told the Wall Street Journal that President Donald Trump views Russian President Vladimir Putin in an increasingly negative light and has privately urged him to end the war in Ukraine. According to the report, Trump initially believed Russia would defeat Ukraine, but his stance has shifted amid continued fighting and massive casualties. US officials say Putin has not changed his strategic goal of conquering Ukraine, but Trump remains optimistic about a peace solution.
The Wall Street Journal reports that President Donald Trump's view of Russian President Vladimir Putin has become increasingly negative, marking a significant shift from his earlier belief that Russia would quickly defeat Ukraine. According to anonymous sources familiar with the president's thinking, Trump has privately pressed Putin to end the war, citing the immense human toll. The report details Putin's repeated assurances to Trump—including during a phone call on July 14—that the Ukrainian front is on the verge of collapse, and a meeting in Alaska in August 2025 where Trump concluded Ukraine had already lost.
The new report adds granularity to developments first reported by The Zioneer earlier today (Tue 01:15 Jerusalem), when the desk reported that Trump had told Putin in a phone call he expects a near-term end to the war, and that Zelensky's standing with Trump is particularly high. By 09:58 Jerusalem, The Zioneer further detailed the WSJ report, noting Trump's private pressure on Putin and his praise for Zelensky ahead of the Washington meetings. The latest update reveals that Trump's view of Putin has soured amid continued fighting and massive casualties—Western estimates put Russian casualties at 1.4 million killed and wounded, with 2 million total for both sides.
As The Zioneer has previously reported, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Trump initially believed Ukraine would lose the war, pushing for a rapid peace deal in early 2025, but now realizes he was wrong (Jun 19, 15:43 Jerusalem). Putin has also signaled readiness for peace talks based on the Istanbul agreements (Jun 23, 19:19 Jerusalem). The backdrop includes unprecedented drone warfare and Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory.
The report relies on unnamed sources from a single publication, leaving the precise nature of Trump's future diplomatic moves unconfirmed. The White House has not issued an official statement. The story is developing.
5 developments
- DevelopingFinancial Times: Russia disappointed by Trump's shift on Ukraine
- DevelopingMacron: Trump believed Ukraine would lose, now realizes he was wrong
- DevelopingWSJ: Trump losing patience with Iran, described as in 'revenge mode'
- DevelopingKremlin sees Trump's Ukraine position as consistent, intelligence monitor says
Source and signal
- Open-source intake