Reference News Network, July 10 report. According to the Russia Today website on July 8, US President Trump admitted that resolving the Ukraine conflict is much more difficult than he had anticipated. He also stated that he does not believe Russian President Putin is seriously considering ending the war.

Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly vowed to quickly end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, he has gradually realized that ending the conflict may take longer than the "24 hours" he initially boasted about.

Trump said in an interview on August 8 that he was "dissatisfied with Putin."

When asked if he intended to "take action regarding these feelings," Trump said, "I won't tell you." He expressed his desire to keep his next move mysterious for now.

According to the report, when talking about efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, Trump admitted that "it has proven to be more difficult than expected."

The CNN website published an article titled "Trump Seems Really Losing Patience with Putin. But Why Now?" on July 8. The article said that five months ago, President Trump claimed that Russian President Putin wanted peace in Ukraine. In recent days, especially on the 8th, Trump's tone completely changed. He hinted that this person, whom he had avoided criticizing for years, might not be a reliable interlocutor.

Trump's recent public statements are likely an attempt to pressure Putin rather than a signal of a firm policy shift. If Trump had truly broken with Putin, the option of imposing a package of new sanctions on Russia should have been ready, but he has not done so yet.

However, sharp criticism of Putin is also a card that Trump has always been reluctant to play. Trump seems to have begun to realize that his goals in Ukraine and Putin's goals are irreconcilable.

The article pointed out that for Trump, it's always about "winning" - in the Ukraine issue, that is the peace agreement he promised but failed to achieve. Trump seems less concerned about the actual content of the agreement, while Putin has almost no indication of really wanting to reach an agreement.

Trump's comments on August 8 were not only tough on Putin; these remarks seem to reflect a deeper sense of frustration - that Putin is deceiving him. Perhaps Trump once truly believed in his own negotiation skills, but now feels that Putin has deceived him.

Trump has been more willing than any other Western leader to speak well of Putin. He firmly refuses to make moral judgments on a strong-willed leader he seems to genuinely admire. However, taking sides in the Ukraine war is not just about morality, but also about realpolitik. For Trump, the latter consideration may be changing. Only time will answer everything.

Another report from the UK's The Economist website on July 8 stated that the United States suddenly halted the delivery of weapons to Ukraine, which had alarmed Ukraine and European allies. Now, similarly suddenly, President Trump on July 7 revoked this order.

Even Trump's closest allies cannot predict his capriciousness. He again expressed anger at Putin's refusal to accept a ceasefire. So far, he has tried to attract Putin with diplomatic reconciliation and profitable deals as "carrots." This time, he raised a (not very strong) stick.

But this does not mean that Trump now supports Ukraine's cause. Restoring the supply of weapons is at best returning to the previous status quo, i.e., slowly ending U.S. military support rather than abruptly stopping it.

The best evaluation of Trump may be that, although he still dreams of signing a major agreement with Putin, he has begun to realize that he has been manipulated by the Russian president. He is unwilling to spend more money to help Ukraine win the war, and he does not want Ukraine to collapse during his term. He may understand that a Ukrainian defeat would be a significant geopolitical blow to the United States.

(Translated by Liu Ziyan, Qiu Fang, Hu Guanghe)

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7525316346965983782/

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