Overview

• At a press conference after the NATO summit in The Hague on June 25, Trump said it was possible that Putin’s ambitions go beyond the occupation of Ukrainian territory.
• He described Putin as “misguided” in launching the invasion and asserted that the Russian leader would like to end the war because “it’s a mess for him.”
• Trump conceded he initially underestimated the conflict’s complexity and acknowledged that dealing with Putin has been more challenging than working with President Zelensky.
• Russia currently holds roughly 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea and parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, following its full-scale invasion.
• Moscow also maintains significant troop deployments in former Soviet regions such as Transnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, reinforcing concerns about its broader influence ambitions.