Trump says ‘peace may not be possible’ in Ukraine; US may sanction Moscow if deal fails

Brussels – Following Vladimir Putin‘s rejection of Washington’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, US President Donald Trump last night (May 4), in an interview with NBC News, said that his decision to sign the bill on sanctions advanced by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham “will depend on whether or not Russia is moving in the direction of peace.”

Graham, Trump’s close ally in Congress, said on May 1 that at least 72 senators would be ready to vote in favor of additional sanctions against the Russian Federation and for hefty tariffs on countries that support it. The prevailing feeling in Washington is that the negotiations for the conclusion of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict are taking too long. Although the president continues to show confidence in the situation, his dissatisfaction with Moscow’s attitude is no secret. “We want Russia and Ukraine to accept an agreement. We think we’re close enough,” Trump said, but on sealing the deal, he said, “I think we’re closer with one side, and maybe not as close with the other. But we will have to see. I would not like to say which side we are closer to.” However, the minerals agreement signed on May 1 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may indicate which side is actually closer.

Tracing the fate of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict back to a diatribe between the two respective leaders, Trump made a bitter observation: “Maybe peace is not possible. There is tremendous hatred. We’re talking about tremendous hatred between these two men and between some of the soldiers and generals who have fought hard for three years.” The tycoon did not lose heart, however, once again evoking “very good chances of succeeding.”

As early as last April 26, Trump lashed out at Putin, calling him “not really interested in ending the war.” The role of mediator that the US president assumed since the early days of his presidency is becoming less and less easy, and on several occasions, he threatened to pull out. Ukraine and the United States have received no signs of openness toward their proposed one-month truce, with Moscow insisting on keeping it to three days in celebration of Victory Day on May 9. The initiative plays into the hands of the Kremlin, which, for the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II, has invited several leaders to Moscow, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, on an official visit to the country between May 7 and 10.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported last night that the US military is currently transferring a Patriot missile defense system from Israel to Ukraine. As Russian attacks against Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Sumy intensify, this decision comes in response to Zelensky’s pressing call for more air defense on April 13, when he declared himself ready to purchase 10 Patriots systems to be deployed in the country’s most densely populated cities. The sources do not indicate any details about Trump’s position on the move, and they do not clarify whether he initiated the initiative or whether it was decided during the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden. In any case, Western allies are reportedly already discussing the logistics of a possible relocation of another battery by Germany or Greece.