Trump and Putin Discuss Ukraine's Drone Attacks: A Conversation with No Immediate Peace in Sight

Trump's recent conversation with Putin brought up imminent retaliatory actions against Ukraine, although immediate peace seems unlikely.

In a phone call yesterday, President Trump disclosed that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to retaliate against Ukraine for its recent drone attack over the weekend. Trump characterized the exchange as "a good conversation," yet he acknowledged that it was not one that would quickly lead to peace. Notably, he did not specify whether he attempted to persuade Putin against further aggression toward Ukraine.

Meanwhile, during a meeting held in Russia today, Putin shifted focus from the drone strikes launched by Ukraine against Russian strategic bombers to incidents involving railway attacks that resulted in the death of seven individuals over the weekend. He accused Ukrainian leadership of executing strikes intentionally aimed at hampering the peace process. Concurrently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Putin of purposefully delaying negotiations to stall the expected new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia.

Despite recent Ukrainian offensives, the overall situation on the ground indicates that Russia maintains the upper hand, continuing to execute attacks and bomb cities using drones and missiles.

On another note related to global discussions, Trump mentioned he has solicited Putin's support in reaching a nuclear deal with Iran, highlighting both leaders' agreement on the importance of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

As the conflict unfolds, European nations are reportedly more confident in their ability to assist Ukraine, regardless of Trump's future decisions regarding his involvement in the conflict. Furthermore, the drone strikes emblematic of this modern warfare have underscored the unpreparedness of Western countries in confronting these new challenges.