Ukraine Has Stopped Responding To Calls From Trump And Putin
- 1.05.2026, 13:13
Kiev is increasingly relying on its own forces.
The phone conversation between American leader Donald Trump and Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, which previously caused concern in Kiev, this time passed almost unnoticed. Whereas in 2025 such contacts were perceived as a potential threat to Ukraine, the reaction has now shifted to virtual indifference, writes The New York Times.
President Vladimir Zelensky after the latest conversation only instructed to inquire about its content and did not initiate separate talks with Washington or consultations with allies. Previously, such steps were standard practice after contacts between the United States and Russia without Kiev's participation.
The reason for the change in approach is the lack of results. There have been no less than eleven conversations between Trump and Putin in more than a year, but none of them have brought the war any closer to an end. The chairman of the Verkhovna Rada's Foreign Affairs Committee, Alexander Merezhka, bluntly stated, "We no longer pay much attention to such appeals because they do not produce any tangible results."
Formalities without hope
Public sentiment has also changed. If after the US election some Ukrainians pinned their hopes on a speedy conclusion of the war with Trump's participation, now the majority does not believe in the effectiveness of such contacts. In Kiev, news about regular calls between the leaders is increasingly perceived as a formality that does not affect the situation on the front.
Despite this, Ukraine cannot ignore the United States as a key partner. Kiev maintains working relations with Washington and can support certain diplomatic initiatives, in particular short-term ceasefires. At the same time, the authorities stress: such steps are dictated more by political expediency than by a belief in a real breakthrough.
With this background, Ukraine is increasingly betting on its own forces - increasing defense production and continuing strikes against targets deep inside Russia. Tellingly, just hours after the latest conversation between Trump and Putin, the Ukrainian military attacked oil facilities on Russian territory.