The White House administration is divided on the issue of Ukraine. There are two factions with different views, while Donald Trump supports a ceasefire solution along the current front line.
American President Donald Trump reiterated his call on Sunday for an immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine along the current front lines, urging Ukraine to effectively cede the territory occupied by Russia, including most of Donbas, to end the conflict, as reported by Kyiv Post.
Trump claims he hasn't talked to Putin about ceding Donbas
In responses provided to reporters Sunday evening aboard Air Force One, Trump insisted that the Donbas issue was not even discussed during Thursday's phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasizing his focus on freezing the conflict.
"No, we didn't talk about it at all," Trump said when asked by journalists if he had spoken with Putin about the regions partially occupied by Russia.
Trump laid out his solution for an immediate cessation of hostilities based on the existing front lines. He insisted that both parties "should simply stop where they are - the battle lines," adding that negotiating the rest is "very difficult."
Asked to provide clarification on the fate of Donbas, an area that has been a focal point of Russia's war, the U.S. President responded directly, advocating for a de facto division as a first step. "Let it be cut as it is now. It is cut right now. I think 78% of the territory is already taken by Russia. Leave it as it is now. I can negotiate something later," he said.
Vance: Decision on Tomahawk still pending
Trump's comments came as his administration continues to weigh whether to approve a significant arms request from Kiev.
Earlier on Sunday, Vice President JD Vance addressed reporters at Andrews Air Base, cautiously balancing an optimistic perspective on increasing U.S. military aid.
Asked about a possible end to the Russia-Ukraine war, Vance highlighted the administration's sustained diplomatic efforts. He stated that the entire team has been "working on this for eight months" and "will continue to pursue the path of peace."
Regarding the crucial question of whether the U.S. will sell long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kiev, a move for which Ukraine has lobbied aggressively, Vance confirmed that the request is under review, but no final decision has been made.
"The President is certainly listening to this request from the Ukrainians at this time," Vance stated. He confirmed that the ultimate decision lies with Trump, but added that he is still undecided on whether to provide Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
Any decision will be filtered through the lens of the "America First" concept, prioritizing domestic stockpiles of arms. This means that "we must have vital weapon systems for our own military, for our own troops," mentioned the U.S. Vice President.
Trump "is trying to bring peace because he believes that is in America's best interest," and if he deems it in America's interest to sell additional weapons, "he will do it," Vance added.
A lever to force Putin
The apparent contradiction between Trump's vision for a fixed demarcation line to underpin the peace process and the possibility of a major arms sale to Ukraine is actually a strategic exercise in coercive diplomacy, according to an American analyst.
Glen Howard, President of the Saratoga Foundation, told the Ukrainian publication that Trump's policy is designed to gain an advantage in negotiations.
"With Trump, it's all about leverage," Howard said. He suggested that hesitations regarding the sale of missiles are part of a strategy: "He wants to use weapons as leverage against Putin and believes he can bring Putin to Budapest for a deal," he pointed out.
In other words, Trump said he would give Tomahawk missiles to Kiev and then became evasive on the subject to send a serious message to Putin that he must negotiate and to leave him space to make this decision.
A direct decision to send the missiles to Ukraine would represent an escalation and trigger a reciprocal response from Moscow, therefore the missiles are currently being used only declaratively to channel discussions towards a ceasefire.
The struggle between factions at the White House
Howard also spoke about an internal struggle at the White House between a "Witkoff camp," led by Trump's special envoy to Moscow, which supports immediate territorial concessions, and a "Kellogg/Rubio faction," led by Trump's envoy to Kiev and the U.S. Secretary of State, who advocates for continued traditional support for Ukraine.
The analyst suggested that the resurgence of a partition proposal is a worrisome sign of the influence of the former camp, noting the "discouraging" fact that "Trump revived the Donetsk agreement."
However, Howard mentioned that the main diplomatic line is currently led by Rubio, which he considers a good sign for Kiev's interests.
He noted that "Rubio is meeting with the Russians and there are still preliminary negotiations between the U.S. and Moscow," adding that he expects Rubio to seek clarifications from the Russians.
Trump's best card
The threat of Tomahawk missiles remains the strongest card in the hands of the American President to ensure good faith from Moscow, Howard pointed out.
He noted the contradiction between Trump's conciliatory public rhetoric and the military realities of U.S. support. "The truth is that the Trump administration... continues to help Ukraine target Russian oil refineries by providing information," Howard said.
Both information sharing and Tomahawk sales are related to "leverage," the expert emphasized, concluding that Trump "does this to both leaders in an attempt to play the role of a neutral arbitrator. This may work in New York real estate, but it doesn't bode well when it comes to relations with the Kremlin," Howard stated.