NYT: Trump Has A Chance To End The War In Ukraine
- 4.08.2026, 11:19
The window of opportunity for diplomacy could close quickly.
U.S. President Donald Trump now has a real opportunity to act as a peacemaker and end Russia’s war in Ukraine, but this window of opportunity may close quickly. This is discussed in an article for The New York Times Thomas Graham, a White House expert on Russia in the administration of President George W. Bush.
“Putin continues to speak favorably of Trump, but some high-ranking officials, as well as prominent commentators, emphasize U.S. military aid to Ukraine and question the U.S. president’s ability to act as an effective and trustworthy mediator,” Graham writes.
The argument in favor of an immediate resumption of U.S. participation in the negotiations is compelling for two reasons.
1. The conflict has entered a dangerous spiral of escalation
Ukraine is stepping up strikes that are penetrating deeper and deeper into Russia, targeting energy infrastructure and military facilities. It is gradually cutting off the Crimean Peninsula from mainland Russia. For the first time, Russians far from the front lines are feeling the direct consequences of the war. The Kremlin clearly fears that Kyiv’s strikes could demoralize Russian society.
In response, Russia is rapidly escalating its airstrikes on Ukrainian cities and vital infrastructure, exploiting the shortage of Ukrainian air defense systems.
At the same time, fears are spreading in Europe about the war escalating, as Ukrainian drones and Russian missiles are violating the airspace of NATO allies.
2. The War Is Ripe for an End
As the analyst points out, both sides must bring the conflict to an end as soon as possible. Kyiv is facing a shortage of troops and growing difficulties in mobilizing people to the front lines. The longer the war continues, the less likely it is that the millions of Ukrainians who have fled abroad will return. The continuation of the conflict will only further increase the cost of reconstruction, which already amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars.
Russia is facing its own demographic crisis and growing difficulties in mobilizing troops. The economic costs are rising rapidly and becoming increasingly evident. Russia is falling further and further behind the United States and China—the two countries with which it competes for the role of a great power:
“With every day of the war, the future looks bleaker. However, if it were to end today, each side could claim victory. Zelenskyy could rightly claim to have preserved what is most precious to Ukrainians: their independence, sovereignty, and European aspirations. Putin could praise Russia’s success in thwarting the West’s attempts to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia and in ‘liberating’ millions of Russians in eastern Ukraine.”
Under these circumstances, intensive negotiations are urgently needed to seize the moment and bring the conflict to an end. And only Washington possesses the necessary influence and political clout for such diplomatic efforts.
“The U.S. can negotiate with Moscow and Kyiv, as well as with key European capitals. Ukraine and Russia cannot do this on their own—which is precisely why they want Washington to resume the dialogue,” Graham writes.
No one expects a breakthrough; the goal is to lay the groundwork for shuttle diplomacy to bridge the vast differences between the two sides. If Washington wants to test whether this war can be brought to an end, it must act now, before escalation closes the diplomatic window that war fatigue has already begun to open, the expert emphasizes.