Michael Barbaro

You know, I think a couple of things happened. Number one, I think the Ukrainians changed their tone. Zelensky was much more careful about what he said about the U.S. and the Trump administration in public. At the same time, behind the scenes, you had some European leaders acting differently

as what one longtime Russia-Ukraine expert said to me, was acting as marriage counselors between President Trump and the Ukrainian government. And, you know, Trump has no great love for much of Western Europe in particular, but he will listen to the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron of France. And they did a lot of work behind the scenes to try to

as what one longtime Russia-Ukraine expert said to me, was acting as marriage counselors between President Trump and the Ukrainian government. And, you know, Trump has no great love for much of Western Europe in particular, but he will listen to the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron of France. And they did a lot of work behind the scenes to try to

reason with Trump and present the Ukrainian position to him. And also, I think, to talk to Zelensky and the Ukrainians about how to interface with the U.S. government in a way that was going to put them in better standing in the White House than Zelensky was on that painful day.

reason with Trump and present the Ukrainian position to him. And also, I think, to talk to Zelensky and the Ukrainians about how to interface with the U.S. government in a way that was going to put them in better standing in the White House than Zelensky was on that painful day.

So one thing that happens is that Zelensky and Ukraine very cleverly shift their posture and They start showing a real openness to some sort of a deal with Russia. You know, this is something that they had rejected for years. But I think that they realize that what Trump wants more than anything is some deal, any deal where he can proclaim a victory.

So one thing that happens is that Zelensky and Ukraine very cleverly shift their posture and They start showing a real openness to some sort of a deal with Russia. You know, this is something that they had rejected for years. But I think that they realize that what Trump wants more than anything is some deal, any deal where he can proclaim a victory.

So Ukraine agrees on March 11th to a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia. And the Trump administration rewards Ukraine for this agreement by lifting its suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing. Vladimir Putin will not agree to an unconditional ceasefire and accepts a very, very limited deal which falls apart quickly. And I think that's an early disappointment for Trump.

So Ukraine agrees on March 11th to a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia. And the Trump administration rewards Ukraine for this agreement by lifting its suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing. Vladimir Putin will not agree to an unconditional ceasefire and accepts a very, very limited deal which falls apart quickly. And I think that's an early disappointment for Trump.

I think it starts to dawn on Trump in the following days and weeks that Putin is not looking for the grand deal that Trump has in mind and that Trump has been promising since he was a candidate for president.

I think it starts to dawn on Trump in the following days and weeks that Putin is not looking for the grand deal that Trump has in mind and that Trump has been promising since he was a candidate for president.

No, it's exactly right. You might call it a kind of a pull the chair strategy. Putin has talked as though he is open to peace for a long time.

No, it's exactly right. You might call it a kind of a pull the chair strategy. Putin has talked as though he is open to peace for a long time.

Trump along, he strung the world along for years. And, you know, something that Biden administration officials would always say is Putin is not serious about negotiating a peace deal. Putin wants victory. He wants huge gains that the Ukrainians can never accept.

Trump along, he strung the world along for years. And, you know, something that Biden administration officials would always say is Putin is not serious about negotiating a peace deal. Putin wants victory. He wants huge gains that the Ukrainians can never accept.

But now, with the arrival of Trump, who is actually pressing this and very much wants to engineer a deal, he's finally called Putin's bluff in a way that no one else has. And Zelensky has very shrewdly created the dynamics for that to happen.

But now, with the arrival of Trump, who is actually pressing this and very much wants to engineer a deal, he's finally called Putin's bluff in a way that no one else has. And Zelensky has very shrewdly created the dynamics for that to happen.

Well... By late March, you see some of the first signs of Trump's frustration with Putin. And in one interview, he says he's very angry and even pissed off at comments Putin has made about Zelensky, saying that they're not helping the peace process. And he talks about increasing sanctions on Russia. But Putin is undeterred.

Well... By late March, you see some of the first signs of Trump's frustration with Putin. And in one interview, he says he's very angry and even pissed off at comments Putin has made about Zelensky, saying that they're not helping the peace process. And he talks about increasing sanctions on Russia. But Putin is undeterred.

As the weeks go by, he's bombing and striking Ukrainian cities, hitting civilian targets with drones and missiles. And, you know, there's worldwide outrage that finally even includes President Trump, who on April 24th posts on his Truth Social account, Vladimir, stop. Not necessary and very bad timing in response to a major Russian attack on Kyiv.