European Leaders ‘Stunned’ by Trump-Putin Agreements

European leaders were stunned after President Donald Trump briefed them on his latest phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to European officials familiar with the conversations.

Trump spoke with leaders from Ukraine, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, and the European Commission just after his May 19 call with Putin.

One official familiar with the follow-up conversations said the leaders were shocked by Trump’s description of what had been agreed between Washington and Moscow.

The Financial Times, citing multiple sources briefed on the calls, reported that Trump made it clear the United States would pull back from its role in the conflict and allow Ukraine and Russia to negotiate a ceasefire directly.

According to the report, Trump did not indicate that future US sanctions would be imposed on Russia if peace efforts failed.

Although the exact content of the Trump-Putin agreement was not disclosed, the FT noted that Trump’s public comments pointed to a possible withdrawal of the US from its role as a mediator in the war.

Shortly after speaking with Putin, Trump posted on Truth Social that Russia and Ukraine would “immediately begin negotiations on a ceasefire and the end of the war,” and that the two countries would manage the terms of the deal on their own.

Ukrainian officials have previously stated that any negotiations must follow, not precede, a ceasefire.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday he asked Donald Trump not to make decisions about Ukraine “without us” before the US president held a call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. 

“I asked him not to make any decisions about Ukraine without us before his conversation with Putin,” Zelensky told a briefing room. “These are matters of principle for us and very important.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took part in the follow-up call, said European leaders reaffirmed support for Ukraine and agreed to increase pressure on Moscow. 

The May 19 call marked Trump’s third conversation with Putin since returning to the White House. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the discussion was friendly and neither leader wanted to end the call.

He said Trump expressed support for normalizing US-Russia relations and that the exchange was conducted in a tone of “mutual respect.”