Before his return to the White House, Donald Trump often boasted that he would end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. Nearly 80 days after his inauguration, is the American president still as confident? Doubts are growing about the objective, once outlined, of reaching an agreement by Easter. On the ground, Russian forces are advancing, albeit at the cost of heavy losses. Bombings and other drone attacks on Ukrainian cities are continuing. As for the peace talks initiated by the Republican leader, they are still in their infancy.

"The interim result of this negotiation process gives the impression of not just one, but several plays being acted out simultaneously, with no script and several directors trying to impose their vision," observed Tatiana Kastouéva-Jean, director of the Russia-Eurasia Center at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI): "The overall situation is currently disappointing, with no real progress toward peace."

Trump has attempted to take the lead, even if it has meant making numerous concessions to Vladimir Putin in advance. However, his brutal and chaotic method is disconcerting to his closest allies, as it seems to play into Russia's hands, which, for its part, is conceding nothing.

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