'Profoundly naive' Trump warned he's playing into Putin's hands over Ukraine

 

After Trump’s highly publicized Sunday meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago, foreign policy experts and humanitarian leaders are warning that the former president’s approach risks legitimizing Vladimir Putin’s aggression while pressuring Ukraine into dangerous concessions.

One of the strongest warnings came from Yuriy Boyechko, CEO and founder of Hope for Ukraine, a nonprofit that has delivered millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to Ukrainians under relentless Russian attacks. Boyechko described Trump’s diplomacy as “profoundly naive” and detached from the brutal reality on the ground.

Treating the aggressor as an equal partner

The meeting was billed as a push toward ending Russia’s nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine. However, critics were alarmed by Trump’s sequencing: he confirmed a “good and very productive” phone call with Vladimir Putin shortly before meeting Zelensky and planned another call with Putin afterward.

According to Boyechko, this sends a dangerous signal.

By placing Putin and Zelensky on equal footing, Trump effectively elevates the aggressor while sidelining the victim. It implies that peace depends on Moscow’s approval, not on international law or accountability for war crimes. In practical terms, it tells Kyiv that any deal will likely be shaped on Russia’s terms.

Praising Putin while Ukraine is under attack

Concerns deepened during the joint press conference, where Trump claimed Putin “wants to see the war end” and was being “very generous” toward Ukraine — even suggesting Russia could help rebuild Ukraine through cheap energy and electricity.

To Ukrainians living through missile strikes and freezing blackouts, these remarks sounded surreal.

Just days earlier, Russian forces launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Kyiv and other cities, crippling power infrastructure during winter conditions. Boyechko dismissed Trump’s comments as either fantasy or recycled Kremlin propaganda, pointing out the absurdity of portraying Putin as a future benefactor after orchestrating Europe’s largest land grab since World War II.

Pressure on Ukraine to accept a bad deal

Trump has repeatedly pushed for a rapid settlement, suggesting Ukraine should agree to a deal now to avoid further territorial losses — particularly in the Donbas region.

This framing, critics argue, places the burden on the victim rather than the invader. It rewards military aggression, undermines long-term security guarantees, and risks locking in Russia’s territorial gains without meaningful concessions from Moscow.

Reports from the press conference suggested Zelensky visibly reacted with disbelief, at times appearing confused or amused by Trump’s characterization of Putin — a moment that underscored Ukraine’s uncomfortable position: negotiating peace with a mediator who echoes the invader’s talking points.

Optimism without accountability

While both leaders publicly expressed optimism — Trump claiming talks were “very close” and Zelensky calling discussions “great” — major issues remain unresolved. Donbas territory, ceasefire sequencing, and enforceable security guarantees are still up in the air. Crucially, no concrete Russian concessions have been announced.

Boyechko emphasized that genuine mediation requires acknowledging Putin’s core objective: not peaceful coexistence, but a weakened, subjugated Ukraine.

Any peace process built on the assumption that Putin is a sincere partner, he warned, is fundamentally flawed. It hands Moscow narrative control, entrenches its gains, and sets a precedent that aggression pays.

Appeasement is not diplomacy

As 2025 ends with intensified Russian strikes and mounting civilian suffering, critics argue that clear-eyed diplomacy — grounded in accountability and international law — is urgently needed. What they see instead is a familiar pattern of appeasement that risks repeating historical mistakes.

For Ukraine, the stakes are existential. For the global order, they are just as high.