Ceasefire: Trump's U-turn plays to Putin's ambitions

Donald Trump had been calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine. His position abruptly changed after his summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week.

- Luke Harding

The US now supports a final settlement of the war first, which is Russia's negotiating position. What changed? And where does Trump's latest flip-flop leave prospects for an end to the fighting?

How did Trump's view on a ceasefire in Ukraine change? Since spring, the White House has been urging Russia to accept a ceasefire in Ukraine. As Trump put it in March: "I think the ceasefire is very important. If we can get Russia to do it, that'll be great."

The US president threatened to impose sanctions on Moscow, and on buyers of its oil such as India, if it refused. He gave various deadlines, which came and went. Until last week the US continued its demand for a 30-day pause in the fighting, to which Kyiv agreed. Speaking on his plane to Alaska on Friday, Trump repeated his demand. There would be "severe consequences" if a ceasefire didn't happen. "I'm not going to be happy," he said.

The US president's position shifted dramatically after meeting Putin. Exactly why is uncertain. But in the face of Russian opposition, Trump dropped his call for a ceasefire and instead embraced the Kremlin's preferred "plan" to end the war. This envisages a comprehensive peace settlement first. Until then, Moscow will carry on bombing.