President Donald Trump is engaged in a complex diplomatic dance, juggling talks with Ukraine, its European allies, and Russia in an effort to shape the future of Eastern European security. A recent call with Vladimir Putin was the latest step.
The call with the Russian leader followed an August 18 meeting where Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European officials. The topic was establishing a security framework for Ukraine.
Trump’s position, articulated after these discussions, is that Europe must take the lead role. He has committed the U.S. to being involved, but has carefully defined that involvement as a “backup” role.
Adding to the complexity, Trump revealed an earlier, in-person meeting with Putin in Alaska on August 15. That discussion looked beyond the current conflict, touching on the possibility of reducing U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals in the future.