WSJ: Trump's advisers urge him to take tougher stance on Putin

Several senior aides to US President Donald Trump are urging him to adopt a more cautious approach toward Moscow’s intentions regarding peace with Ukraine, cautioning that Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to demonstrate a sincere desire to end the conflict, The Wall Street Journal writes.

This advisory group, which includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg, advocates for a harder stance against Moscow’s demands for territorial concessions from Kyiv.

However, Trump continues to align himself with envoy Steve Witkoff, who believes that Putin genuinely seeks peace after meeting with him twice in Moscow. Despite this, Russia has rejected Trump’s call for a ceasefire and has delayed efforts to suspend part of the fighting, using the time to consolidate its battlefield successes and seek maximum concessions in negotiations.

Trump remains focused on halting the war, seeing it as a crucial step in achieving a broader rapprochement with Russia. Although he has expressed frustration with Putin at times, he has not acted on his threats to impose new sanctions on Russian oil exports. Even those within Trump’s circle who advocate for a tougher policy toward Moscow support his goal of ending the war. Yet, the recent Russian ballistic missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, which killed 34 civilians and injured 100, highlights the stark divisions among Trump’s senior advisers.

By Khagan Isayev