Trump Turns Up The Heat on Putin

Summary

Summary of "Trump Turns Up The Heat on Putin"

Podcast: The Journal
Hosts: Jessica Mendoza and Lara Seligman
Release Date: July 16, 2025

Introduction

In the episode titled "Trump Turns Up The Heat on Putin," hosted by Jessica Mendoza and Lara Seligman, The Wall Street Journal and Spotify Studios delve into former President Donald Trump's evolving strategy regarding the Russia-Ukraine war. The discussion unpacks Trump's initial promises, diplomatic efforts, subsequent frustrations, and his pivot to more aggressive policies aimed at pressuring both Russia and Ukraine towards a resolution.

Trump’s Initial Promise to End the War in Ukraine

At the onset of his re-election campaign, Donald Trump made a bold promise to American voters: to end the protracted war in Ukraine swiftly. He emphasized his confidence in achieving this goal with remarkable speed.

Donald Trump [00:16]: "Before I even arrive at the Oval Office, shortly after we win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled."

Donald Trump [00:26]: "I'll get it done in 24 hours. I know."

This commitment was a cornerstone of his campaign rhetoric, highlighted repeatedly in rallies and public addresses.

Early Efforts to Broker Peace

Upon taking office, Trump's strategy centered on bringing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table. He believed that his personal rapport with Putin could facilitate a breakthrough.

Lara Seligman [00:57]: "When Trump came into office, he had this idea that he was going to be the person that negotiated peace for this long standing war with so many fatalities."

Despite his optimism, the complexities of the conflict posed significant challenges. Russia aimed to demilitarize Ukraine and reassert its political dominance, while Ukraine sought to maintain its independence, reclaim seized territories, and secure long-term security guarantees.

Frustration and Shift in Strategy

Nearly six months into his administration, Trump's initial diplomatic efforts had not yielded significant progress. Growing increasingly frustrated with Putin's lack of cooperation, Trump began reassessing his approach.

Donald Trump [01:37]: "That was a war that should have never happened and a lot of people are dying and it should end. And I don't know, we get a lot of bull thrown at us by Putin for."

Realizing that negotiations were stagnating, Trump shifted focus towards leveraging economic and military measures to influence the conflict's trajectory.

Public Clash with President Zelenskyy

Trump's relationship with Zelenskyy deteriorated as progress remained elusive. In a notable social media post from February, Trump criticized Zelenskyy, marking a significant public rift.

Donald Trump [06:06]: "If you didn't have our military equipment you invited... this war would have been over in two weeks, in three days."

This confrontation culminated in a contentious White House meeting where Trump openly berated Zelenskyy, accusing him of poor leadership and ungratefulness.

Donald Trump [07:02]: "If you didn't have our military equipment you invited... This is something maybe less in two weeks."

Pausing Military Aid to Ukraine

In March, amid tensions with Zelenskyy, the U.S. temporarily halted key military aid shipments to Ukraine. This pause aimed to pressure Zelenskyy into demonstrating a genuine commitment to peace talks with Russia.

Lara Seligman [12:27]: "So the pause was of particular munitions that we were sending to Ukraine... they save Ukrainian lives every day."

The halt included critical munitions like Patriot air defense interceptors and Hellfire missiles, significantly impacting Ukraine's defensive capabilities.

Reversal and New Strategy: European Funding and Economic Pressure

After about a week, Trump reversed the aid pause following Zelenskyy's attempts to reconcile. He then introduced a new strategy emphasizing European financial responsibility for defense.

Lara Seligman [16:05]: "The expectation now is like, gosh, three years in, we're still sending weapons for free to Ukraine... Europe should be paying for its own defense."

Simultaneously, Trump escalated economic pressure on Russia by threatening up to 100% tariffs unless Russia agreed to a peace deal within 50 days.

Lara Seligman [17:19]: "Trump gave Russia a 50 day deadline to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine... imposing tariffs."

This dual approach aimed to both bolster Ukraine's defense through European-funded weapons and economically strain Russia to compel diplomatic engagement.

Implications for the Ukraine Conflict

The episode explores the potential outcomes of Trump's revised strategy. While increased weaponry could enhance Ukraine's defensive stance, Lara Seligman expresses skepticism about Ukraine's ability to secure a decisive victory without direct U.S. military intervention.

Lara Seligman [17:57]: "Short of putting US Troops on the ground... I just don't think Ukraine is going to win the war."

However, if effective, the new strategy might shift the balance enough to open avenues for peace negotiations, especially if Russia faces heightened economic and military pressure.

Current State of Trump-Putin Relations

Trump's patience with Putin waned as it became evident that Russian President Vladimir Putin remained steadfast in his objectives. Their interactions soured, culminating in Trump's realization that his diplomatic efforts were not yielding the desired results.

Lara Seligman [19:00]: "Trump is very disappointed that he could not be the deal maker for peace for Ukraine and Russia and that he's going to hold that against Putin."

This strained relationship underscores the challenges Trump faces in achieving his initial promise to end the war.

Conclusion

"Trump Turns Up The Heat on Putin" provides a comprehensive analysis of Donald Trump's fluctuating strategy in addressing the Russia-Ukraine conflict. From initial diplomatic overtures to aggressive economic and military measures, Trump's efforts reflect a shift from hopeful negotiation to assertive pressure. While the long-term effectiveness of this approach remains uncertain, the episode highlights the intricate dynamics between U.S. foreign policy, European support, and Russian resolve in shaping the war's trajectory.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Donald Trump [00:16]: "Before I even arrive at the Oval Office, shortly after we win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled."

• Donald Trump [06:06]: "If you didn't have our military equipment you invited... this war would have been over in two weeks, in three days."

• Lara Seligman [16:05]: "Europe should be paying for its own defense."

• Lara Seligman [17:57]: "I just don't think Ukraine is going to win the war."

• Lara Seligman [19:00]: "Trump is very disappointed that he could not be the deal maker for peace for Ukraine and Russia and that he's going to hold that against Putin."

Transcript

[Jessica Mendoza]

During his re election campaign, President Trump promised voters that he'd end the war in Ukraine. It was a promise Trump made repeatedly in speeches.

[Donald Trump]

Before I even arrive at the Oval Office, shortly after we win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Rallies.

[Donald Trump]

I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled. I'll get it done in 24 hours. I know.

[Jessica Mendoza]

And the presidential debate, that is a.

[Donald Trump]

War that's dying to be settled. I will get it settled before I even become president. If I win when I'm president elect and what I'll do is I'll speak to one, I'll speak to the other, I'll get them together, that war will end.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Trump's plan for settling the war in Ukraine was to get both sides to the negotiating table, specifically Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

[Lara Seligman]

When Trump came into office, he had this idea that he was going to be the person that negotiated peace for this long standing war with so many fatalities.

[Jessica Mendoza]

That's our colleague Lara Seligman. She covers the Pentagon and the White House.

[Lara Seligman]

He thought that because he has a personal relationship with Vladimir Putin, that if you just got them in a room together, gave them enough time, he could do it, he could end the war and end the suffering.

[Jessica Mendoza]

But after nearly six months in office, Trump hasn't been able to get Ukraine and Russia any closer to peace. And he's grown increasingly frustrated with Putin.

[Donald Trump]

That was a war that should have never happened and a lot of people are dying and it should end. And I don't know, we get a lot of bull thrown at us by Putin for. You want to know the truth?

[Jessica Mendoza]

In the past week, Trump has started taking action against Russia. He struck a new weapons deal with Ukraine and threatened to hit Russia with tariffs unless it agrees to a peace deal.

[Lara Seligman]

In 50 days, Trump finally realized that Putin was not negotiating in good faith and that he never intended to end the war. He's just decided that talking is not going to cut it. And he is now taking action to support Ukraine. That idea that talking is not getting us anywhere, I think that's what's been driving sort of his reversal on Putin.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Welcome to the Journal, our show about money, business and power. I'm Jessica Mendoza. It's Wednesday, July 16th. Coming up on the show, how Trump soured on Putin over the war in Ukraine.

[Lara Seligman]

Foreign.

[Mark Rutte]

This episode is brought to you by Intuit QuickBooks. Do you own a business that's ready to thrive? It's time to let Intuit QuickBooks take things like unpaid invoices and tracking expenses off your plate so you can take things to the next level. Intuit QuickBooks is a powerful AI driven all in one business solution that can help with day to day tasks like invoicing expenses and taxes. Manage and grow your business all in one place. Intuit QuickBooks your way to money get 90% off for 3 months limited time only terms conditions apply.

[Lara Seligman]

This episode is brought to you by the new Dell AI PC. Powered by the Intel Core Ultra processor, it helps you do your busy work for you so you can fast forward through editing images, designing presentations, generating codes, summarizing meetings, responding to Jim's long emails, leaving time for the things you actually want to do. No offense Jim. Get a New Dell AI PC starting at [e-mail] AI PC.

[Jessica Mendoza]

When Trump took office in January, he set out to bring the war in Ukraine to an end. To make that happen, he needed to bring both Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table, and neither has wanted to cede any ground. Russia wants to control Ukraine by demilitarizing the country and reasserting Russia's dominance over its politics. Ukraine wants to stay independent, it wants to get back a lot of the territory Russia has seized, and it wants security guarantees, something to make sure Russia can't launch another attack on Ukraine in the future. Those competing interests made it challenging for Trump to broker a deal, but he had an important piece of leverage weapons.

[Lara Seligman]

So the Biden team has sent billions and billions of dollars of weapons to Ukraine and increasingly over the course of the administration, more more lethal, more expensive, more sophisticated weapons to the point where we were sending Patriot air defense systems, we were sending Abrams tanks or sending F16 fighter jets, and we're sending the best stuff. Trump, he didn't like that Biden was giving so many weapons to Ukraine, as he saw it, for free. Trump has successfully portrayed it as we are just giving them our weapons and we're not getting anything in return. And then Trump came into office and he continued to quietly send the packages of weapons that the Biden administration had already authorized. So a lot of those shipments were still going across the border from Poland, but he hadn't authorized anything new.

[Jessica Mendoza]

So weapons were still going to Ukraine under the Trump administration. Did the president ever say he would actually stop doing that in his actual statements?

[Lara Seligman]

It was a little bit ambiguous because he's never actually said, you know, I don't want to, I don't want to help Ukraine. But he's certainly insinuated that he would use American weapons as a negotiating point and has floated the idea of threatening to stop sending US Weapons to Ukraine as a way to get them to the table.

[Jessica Mendoza]

But that strategy has had limited success. Zelenskyy accepted a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire, but Russia did not. Zelenskyy has also continued to ask the Trump administration for more weapons to keep fighting. The slow progress frustrated Trump, and he took it out on Zelenskyy. In a social media post in February, Trump called Zelenskyy a dictator. Trump also said the Ukrainian president, quote, shouldn't have allowed this war to happen. Zelensky accused Trump of repeating Russian propaganda. Later that month, the two leaders met at the White House, where they clashed publicly.

[Donald Trump]

You're right now not in a very good position. You've allowed himself to be in a very bad position to be right about from the very beginning of the war. You're not in a good position. You don't have the cards right now with us. You start.

[Lara Seligman]

So Trump had Zelensky at the White House a couple of months ago, and it just went really badly.

[Donald Trump]

If you didn't have our military equipment you invited, if you didn't have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks, in three days. I heard it from Putin in three days. This is something maybe less in two weeks. Of course, yes. It's going to be a very hard thing to do, business like this.

[Lara Seligman]

Zelensky kept asking for more things, more weapons, more sophisticated weapons, and Trump was offended by that. And it was, it was this big blow up and Zelensky went home empty handed.

[Donald Trump]

But you're not acting at all thankful, and that's not a nice thing. I'll be honest. That's not a nice thing.

[Jessica Mendoza]

In March, after that meeting, the U.S. temporarily paused military aid to Ukraine. According to a White House official, the pause was to be in place until Trump decided Zelenskyy was making a good faith effort toward peace talks with Russia. Trump reversed the pause after about a week. Around the same time, Zelenskyy tried to mend his relationship with Trump. He called the argument regrettable and said Ukraine was ready to renew talks. On social media, Zelenskyy wrote, quote, nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. A month later, in late April, Zelenskyy signed a deal that would give the US Rights to minerals in Ukraine in exchange for weapons.

[Lara Seligman]

It seemed like Zelensky might have been willing to get to the peace table, but it was. It's Putin that really is the one that. That's the holdout. Like, he's the One who's still insisting, you know, he's not going to change his a of conquering all of Ukraine.

[Jessica Mendoza]

According to Wall Street Journal reporting, Putin initially saw Trump as someone he could work with. After Trump took office, Moscow signaled potential cooperation with Washington on things like energy and space exploration. Putin even gave Trump a portrait that he commissioned of the US President. America's allies in Europe weren't convinced, the Journal's reporting found. Leaders from Germany, France and Britain warned Trump that Putin was not serious about negotiating and just wanted to seize more territory in ukra. Still, Trump pressed on with attempts at diplomacy. How is Trump trying to get Putin to the negotiating table? What was he trying to do?

[Lara Seligman]

So Trump has had a number of calls with Putin over the past couple of months, even reportedly one before he even actually entered office. And it was clear that Trump wants to deal with Putin personally and is trying to get him to the table to come to some sort of agreement to, as he calls it, stop the killing. But they never made significant progress.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Even as talks continued, Russia stayed on the offensive. In one instance, back in April, Russia launched an attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv that frustrated Trump. On social media, Trump wrote, quote, Vladimir, stop. 5,000 soldiers a week are dying. Let's get the peace deal done. In that attack, Russia said it was targeting sites that included Ukrainian aviation, rocket and armored vehicle industries, among others. And since then, what's the status of the war?

[Lara Seligman]

For quite a while now, it's looked like Russia has had the winning edge, although the battlefield progress has been very, very slow. Fighting over villages, fighting over meters of territory on the front. But it has seemed like Russia has been very slowly pushing in. And that's been the case for, gosh, probably a year now. It's not looking good for either side. Both sides are taking huge casualties still, but Russia just has more people and more ammunition that they can throw at the war.

[Jessica Mendoza]

So Russia has the upper hand. Does that make Putin less likely to negotiate?

[Lara Seligman]

Putin has one goal, and one, that's his only goal is to continue the war and conquer Ukraine. And I don't think anything that Trump was saying was going to change that. Putin humors Trump, and being on good terms with Trump was a way to get him to stop sending American weapons to Ukraine and make things easier for him. He thought maybe he could play Trump.

[Jessica Mendoza]

But Trump was losing patience. And in his latest phone call with Putin, he seems to have reached a breaking point. That's next.

[Unknown]

This episode is brought to you by Holiday Inn by IHG It's a new day for a New stay at Holiday Inn for business travelers. With modern spaces for meeting and working, plus delicious dining, from breakfast to happy hour and dinner, you have everything you need to get work done. Give your everyday business travel an upgrade. Book your next business trip at Holiday Inn by IHG. Visit holidayend.com to book your stay.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Earlier this month, the Pentagon halted a key shipment of weapons to Ukraine.

[Lara Seligman]

So the pause was of particular munitions that we were sending Ukraine. So Patriot air defense interceptors, as well as Hellfire missiles, AIM120s, and other air defense munitions that are critical for Ukraine to defend itself and defend its cities and infrastructure. Other weapons were still going through, like tanks and some engineering equipment. But the big holdup was on the munitions.

[Jessica Mendoza]

A White House spokesperson said the decision was made to put America's interests first. The weapons would be used to beef up the Pentagon's stockpile instead. And what did that mean for Ukraine, that pause?

[Lara Seligman]

I mean, clearly, that's devastating for Ukraine. Anytime they don't get the weapons that they've been promised from the US that you can literally draw a line from that to people dying. You know, these munitions, they save Ukrainian lives every day, and if they don't have them, that's more people dying.

[Jessica Mendoza]

The move was alarming to Ukraine. But then Trump had another call with Putin. How does that call go?

[Lara Seligman]

Well, not well. Trump got off the phone and he talked to reporters, and he said he was very disappointed with the phone call. He said that there was no progress on ending the war.

[Donald Trump]

Yeah, I'm very disappointed with the conversation I had today with President Putin, because I don't think he's there. I don't think he's there.

[Lara Seligman]

And the Kremlin actually put out a statement before the White House did saying that Trump had asked him to end the fighting, and Putin said no. So there's clearly daylight between where they're standing. And I think that was the point where Trump realized that maybe he was getting played by Putin and he was not successful in his primary goal of getting both sides to negotiating good faith.

[Jessica Mendoza]

And almost immediately, Trump started to change his approach to the war.

[Lara Seligman]

The next day, he called Zelensky. And unlike their previous interactions, it was. It was a positive call because from our reporting, Trump told Zelensky, you know, it wasn't his decision to pause the weapons and that he would do everything he could to get Ukraine as much as possible. And Zelensky put out a statement after that saying, really positive call with Trump. This is great. Good news all around. And then since then, Trump has actively worked to come up with a plan that would send weapons to Ukraine. So what came about is this plan that we heard about on Monday when Trump was in the Oval Office with NATO and he announced that Europe is actually going to pay the US for its weapons, that then those weapons will go to Ukraine.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Here's NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at that meeting.

[Unknown]

This is again, Europeans stepping up. So I've been in contact with many countries. I can tell you that at this moment, Germany massively, but also Finland and Denmark and Sweden and Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Canada, they all want to be part of this. And this is only the first wave. There will be more.

[Lara Seligman]

So again, the big differentiator between what Biden did and what Trump is doing is that the US Is no longer going to be donating weapons.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Can you say more about that? How is this a big shift from how the Biden administration was handling sending weapons to Ukraine?

[Lara Seligman]

It was just sort of from the beginning, you know, Europe and the US See the Ukraine war as a proxy war with Russia almost. So we need to do what we can to keep Russia at bay. And so there wasn't expected to be a payment from that. The expectation now is like, gosh, three years in, we're still sending weapons for free to Ukraine when we need our own weapons. The thinking is now, while Europe should be paying for its own defense, and if you think about it, that's Trump's MO all along from the first administration, is to increase Europe's defense spending. Europe should be paying for its own defense. And the US has spent so much money sending weapons and other aid to Ukraine that now he believes it's time for Europe to take on more of the burden. That's always been his thing.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Along with continuing to support Ukraine in the war, Trump announced that the US Would also turn the pressure up on Russia. That pressure would take the form of one of Trump's favorite tactics, tariffs. Trump gave Russia a 50 day deadline to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine. If it doesn't, the US would impose up to 100% tariffs on Russia and, and additional tariffs against countries who trade with it.

[Lara Seligman]

That increases the economic pressure on Russia as well and sort of underscores his growing anger with Putin. You know, Trump is famous for setting deadlines and then not necessarily meeting them. The tariffs threat, coupled with this new weapons approach, I think they're hoping that that puts enough pressure on Putin that perhaps he comes to the table.

[Jessica Mendoza]

So what could these weapons, this deal with NATO and these potential tariffs against Russia, all of these together, what could they mean for the future of the war in Ukraine. Do they improve Ukraine's chances of victory?

[Lara Seligman]

They could. I've covered the war in Ukraine for a long time, the whole time that it's been going on. And despite having all the best of American weaponry and a lot of it, Ukraine has not been able to win. You know, there have been times where they. They've significantly pushed back Russian forces, but in the end, it's a war of attrition and Russia just has more people. They have more. A bigger defense industry that is able to crank out tanks and ammunition just at this huge rate. Short of putting US Troops on the ground with US Weapons and US Planes in the sky with US Pilots, I just don't think Ukraine is going to win the war. They might be able to turn the tide and maybe gain some ground. And if that happens and diplomats can reach some sort of agreement to bring the sides together at that point, when Putin is sort of on his back foot, then perhaps there's a chance at peace. But I am pessimistic at this point right now.

[Jessica Mendoza]

Where does Trump's relationship with Putin stand?

[Lara Seligman]

I think it's in a pretty bad place. Trump is very disappointed that he could not be the deal maker for peace for Ukraine and Russia and that he's going to hold that against Putin.

[Jessica Mendoza]

That's all for today. Wednesday, July 16. The Journal is a co production of Spotify and the Wall Street. Additional reporting in this episode by Robbie Gramer, Michael R. Gordon, Matthew Luxmore, Bojan Panchevsky, Yaroslav Trofimov and Alexander Ward. Thanks for listening. See you tomorrow.