Media and analysis According to
CNN, the telephone conversation between Putin and Trump, along with the Pentagon's statements about European NATO members bearing their own military expenses, marked a significant change in
American-European relations. The publication noted that Trump's position reflects his "
America First" policy and his desire to evaluate international relations from the point of view of financial gain.
The Washington Post emphasized that the interests of European countries in the
geopolitical defense space were fading into the background. The
BBC noted that a possible mutual visit between the leaders would mark a fundamental shift in bilateral relations, given that the president of the United States hadn't visited Russia in over a decade.
Axios described the phone call, the possible meeting between the leaders, and the previously announced prisoner exchange as signs of a thawing of frozen
US-Russian relations.
The New York Times described the phone call as a turning point for Putin, comparable in significance to the key battles in the
Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to
The Guardian, the rapid initiation of negotiations with Russia and the open demands for Ukraine to cede territory have caused alarm in Kyiv and among Ukraine's European allies. They have expressed fears that the
Trump administration may make significant concessions to Putin's demands as means of securing a quick deal.
Al Jazeera described the developments as having "signalled a major shift in three years of US policy towards Kyiv". According to
The Times, the 90-minute conversation was proof of the failure of attempts by European and
Western powers to isolate Russia and turn Putin into an international pariah with
economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure.
Süddeutsche Zeitung noted that Trump rejected the European position on the inadmissibility of deciding Ukraine's fate without the participation of Ukraine itself and European partners, emphasizing that only two participants would be present at the proposed negotiating table: Trump and Putin. According to
Bloomberg, European officials received no advance notice of the upcoming conversation, and were shocked that it took place.
Handelsblatt noted that EU leaders feared that Trump may be prepared to make significant concessions to Putin at the expense of Europe.
Domestic United States secretary of defense Pete Hegseth, commenting on the conversation, emphasized that the desire for peace was not a "betrayal" of Ukraine, and noted that Russian aggression served as a "reset" for NATO. However, Donald Trump's former national security advisor
John Bolton said that Trump "effectively surrendered" to Putin on the issue of Ukraine. US secretary of state Marco Rubio said that "One phone call does not solve a war as complex as this one. But I can tell you that Donald Trump is the only leader in the world that could potentially begin that process." ==Later calls==