Russia is stalling on agreeing to a full ceasefire in Ukraine—but that didn’t stop US President Donald Trump and Russian ruler Vladimir Putin from scheduling future hockey matches, according to Politico.
After 90 minutes of talks, Putin made the smallest possible concession to ease Russia’s three-year assault on Ukraine, promising a prisoner exchange and a 30-day halt on attacks against power plants and other “infrastructure.”
Yet, just an hour after the call, Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were once again hit by Russian strikes. Residential areas across the country remain under threat from drones and missiles, and the blood-soaked eastern front continues as a killing ground.
Putin stuck to impossible demands, noting among them the halt of all foreign military aid and Western intelligence sharing with Ukraine. While these terms will be difficult for European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider, it remains unclear whether Trump would ultimately accept them.
Matthew Shoemaker, a former US intelligence officer and national security expert, warned that Trump risks playing into Putin’s hands by allowing Russia to deploy a “classic Cold War-era Soviet tactic” of slow negotiations.
“During the Cold War, American leaders often resisted being drawn into such drawn-out processes, recognizing that they served as stalling mechanisms for the Soviets to regroup or exploit leverage,” said Shoemaker.
He added that Trump could fall into this historical trap, as “Putin’s delays could allow Russia to strengthen its position militarily and politically while eroding US credibility and unity with allies.”
Following the call, the Kremlin announced that the two presidents agreed to organize hockey games between both the US and Russian teams.
“A number of ideas were discussed to foster mutually beneficial cooperation in the economy and energy sectors. Donald Trump supported Vladimir Putin’s idea of organizing hockey matches in the US and Russia between Russian and American NHL players,” the Kremlin said in its evening statement.
Trump has not called Zelenskyy to brief him on the details of the Putin call. Instead, Ukraine’s president had to learn about it from media reports.
Ahead of the Trump-Putin statements, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address that Russia was deliberately prolonging the war.
Related:
- Opinion: Tribunal establishment crucial before potential bad peace deal
- Ukraine’s peacekeeping mission enters Implementation phase, foreign minister says
- Trump “determined” to reach Ukraine peace deal, says White House
- Majority of Americans support Ukraine, believe Trump is on Russian side, poll shows
- Zelenskyy: Russia must stop setting conditions for truce