Donald Trump held separate phone calls with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky on June 14, his 80th birthday. The Putin call lasted approximately one hour and included discussion of future U.S. envoy travel to Russia. Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure occurred the same night.
“Trump speaks with Putin and Zelenskyy as war in Ukraine rages on”
Read at CBS News →“Trump speaks with Putin, Zelensky even as peace talks are on hold”
Read at Straits Times →No right-leaning sources covered this
The calls highlight risks of personalized diplomacy bypassing alliances and institutions while formal peace talks remain stalled.
“Power imbalance and potential prioritization of bilateral deals over Ukrainian sovereignty”
Trump's direct engagement signals a return to results-oriented diplomacy that prioritizes ending the stalemate over prolonged U.S. involvement.
“Skepticism of proxy conflicts and value of deal-making that pressures all sides”
Leader-to-leader contact cuts through stalled institutional processes and favors reducing U.S. entanglement in foreign conflicts.
“Voluntary negotiation over taxpayer-funded weapons shipments and expanded government power”
All framings accept thin sourcing from a single Russian official and overlook conflicts of interest plus lack of verified concessions.
“Routine signaling rather than substantive de-escalation momentum”
Ratings by MBFC