Moscow’s battlefield edge is waning, experts say. But President Donald Trump seems disinclined to ramp up pressure on the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine.

A telephone call between the two leaders was the latest chapter in a flurry of diplomatic maneuvering over ending the three-year conflict.

During a press gaggle aboard Air Force Two on May 19, 2025, Vice President JD Vance remarks that the Trump Administration will give up on ending the Russia-Ukraine War if Vladimir Putin is unwilling to end it.

Kyiv and Moscow exchange dozens more prisoners after huge drone and missile strike - Russia is accused of executing more than 150 Ukrainian prisoners of war

The White House disputes the officials’ account, saying Trump believes Russia is winning in Ukraine but still wants peace.

Vladimir Putin has decided to continue the offensive in 2025 and seize more Ukrainian territory. However, these plans are unlikely to be realistic, according to the RBC-Ukraine article. According to RBC-Ukraine,

The US and European leaders are placing their hopes in the Vatican to engage Russia and Ukraine in peace talks, after President Donald Trump said Pope Leo XIV had expressed interest in the idea. The Kremlin isn’t so keen.

The official assessment suggests Vladimir Putin is enlarging his nuclear arsenal not just to improve his position ion the battlefield, but also in response to global concerns about the possibility of WW3.