So here’s something wild: On a private call this Monday with top European leaders — including Zelensky, Macron, Merz, Meloni, and von der Leyen — Donald Trump admitted what he’s never said out loud before: Vladimir Putin still thinks he’s winning in Ukraine and isn’t ready to stop. That’s a sharp pivot from Trump’s usual public spin, where he paints Putin as some misunderstood guy who secretly wants peace.

This wasn’t a casual call either. The Wall Street Journal reports it was a serious meeting with Ukraine’s President Zelensky directly on the line. And yet, despite privately recognizing Putin’s mindset, Trump still hasn’t backed serious action like the sanctions the Europeans have been begging for.

Trump’s Talk vs. Trump’s Walk (Again)

The day before that call, Trump huddled separately with Macron, Merz, Meloni, and the UK’s new Prime Minister Keir Starmer. There, he floated the idea of sanctions — if Putin rejected a cease-fire. But by Monday, that tough talk had melted into vague plans for low-level negotiations between Ukraine and Russia… in the Vatican of all places.

Zelensky and European leaders had spent 10 days trying to push Trump to lean harder on Putin. Didn’t work. Trump dodged responsibility as usual. “This isn’t my war,” he told reporters. “We got ourselves entangled in something we shouldn’t have been involved in.”

Sound familiar?

Cease-Fire Drama and Selective Memory

Some of the Europeans on the call wanted any Vatican talks to start with a clear, unconditional cease-fire. Trump rejected the word “unconditional” — even though his own post on May 8 explicitly used that exact term when he called for a 30-day cease-fire on Truth Social. Classic Trump: deny the past even when it’s still up online.

Eventually, the Europeans backed off on the word just to keep him engaged.

New German Chancellor, New Energy

Things got real when Germany’s new Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, stepped in. Unlike Scholz, Merz has a spine when it comes to Putin. His government even rewrote parts of Germany’s constitution to allow more military spending.

On May 10, Merz, Macron, Starmer, and Poland’s Donald Tusk surprised everyone with a trip to Kyiv — and a direct call to Trump from Macron’s phone. They told him Zelensky was ready for a cease-fire. Then they warned Putin that more sanctions were coming if he didn’t play ball.

Putin responded by offering direct talks for the first time in three years. Trump loved it — said he might even travel to Turkey to join. But when the meeting happened in Istanbul, Putin ghosted. Sent a mid-tier team who just rehashed old demands Ukraine had already rejected.

Back to Trump. Again.

After that flop, the Europeans circled back to Trump, arguing this was proof Putin wouldn’t budge without pressure. They passed some light sanctions, but the heavy-hitters — oil and bank restrictions — are still being negotiated.

Trump’s response? He said he’d call Putin directly. Because, in his words, “a peace deal can’t happen without me talking to him.”

During the earlier Sunday call, Trump did say the U.S. might team up with Europe on hitting Russian oil and banks. Lindsey Graham even claims he’s already got 81 co-sponsors lined up for a sanctions bill.

Oh, and There Was a Classic Trump Moment

Of course, Trump couldn’t resist going off-script. At one point, he complimented Merz on his English: “I love it even more with your German accent.” Then — in typical fashion — he pivoted into slamming Europe’s migration policies, calling their countries “on the brink of collapse.” Macron cut him off: “You cannot insult our nations, Donald.”

Even so, some on the call thought Trump might go along with serious sanctions — if Putin refused to move. But it didn’t last. For now, all eyes are on the Vatican, where mid-June talks are scheduled.

Let’s see if Trump shows up with leverage — or just more noise.