After Putin Call, Trump Declares Russia has Won the Ukraine War

On February 12, Putin and Trump had a phone conversation. After that, two public statements from the Trump administration indicated that the U.S. had effectively submitted a surrender letter to Russia, on behalf of Ukraine and Europe.

First, the initial objective of Russia’s special military operation was to stop Ukraine from joining NATO. On February 14, The New York Times reported that Trump had clearly stated that NATO would not accept Ukraine. Zelensky, in his speech at the 2025 Munich Security Conference (MSC), also admitted that the U.S. had never supported Ukraine’s NATO membership. This means Russia has fully achieved its strategic goal of halting NATO expansion, securing a de facto victory.

Second, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict developed, Russia set a new war objective: to turn four eastern Ukrainian provinces into its territory. On the same day as Trump’s phone call with Putin, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called a return to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders “an unrealistic objective” and an “illusionary goal.” This statement signified that the U.S. had, in effect, “ceded” Ukrainian territory, acknowledging that Russia had met its additional war objectives.

That day, Trump and Putin talked for over 90 minutes. Compared to the three-year-long Ukraine War, this phone call was brief. But for Ukraine and Europe, it felt like an eternity because it was clear that in this conversation between old friends, they were no longer just listeners at the table—they had already been printed on the menu.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, when he took part in a panel discussion at the 2024 Munich Security Conference, said, ‘If you’re not at the table in the international system, you’re going to be on the menu.’

When Trump devoured Europe and Ukraine, he didn’t even allow them to cry out. This year’s MSC was supposed to focus on two main issues: how to end the war in Ukraine without capitulating to Russia, and how Europe could increase its defense spending. However, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, attending the conference, did not discuss these topics. Instead, he launched a harsh critique of European allies, including the UK.

Vance pointed out that Europe’s biggest threat was not Russia or China, but internal dangers. He criticized the European elite class for using the judicial system to suppress free speech, overthrowing Romania’s election results with unreliable intelligence, and deliberately ignoring public concerns about illegal immigration. During those 20 minutes, Europe remained silent.

US Vice-President J.D. Vance delivering his speech during the 61st Munich Security Conference on Feb 14.

This outspokenness was not tolerated by “tolerant” Europeans, the Guardian later commented, “the moment the world order against which Putin railed fell apart.”

But what The Guardian didn’t dare admit was that the “world order” Europe maintained was a complete mistake. Within this, two glaring misconceptions persist that Europe cannot seem to escape.

Europe’s first misconception is underestimating Russia.

Before the Ukraine War broke out, the U.S. and Europe tried to dismember Russia again through economic sanctions, color revolutions, and military pressure. These strategies were effective against small and medium-sized countries like Yugoslavia. However, they overlooked one point: Russia is not a “small or medium-sized country.”

A Russian lady lays flowers on the roadside in front of the burned-out Crocus City Hall following a deadly attack at the concert venue that left 140 people dead.

Trump’s insight over Europe and previous U.S. administrations was that for a country inheriting the Soviet nuclear arsenal and much of its military power, pushing it into a corner would backfire. Therefore, to bring Russia back to the negotiating table, it had to be given the respect its power warranted. For example, during the call, Trump even suggested inviting Russia back into the G8. This indicated that, in the eyes of the U.S., Russia was no longer just leftovers from the Soviet Union but had returned to the table as one of the main guests.

This realism might appear as the collapse of the “world order” to some politically naive European countries. But only nuclear powers like the U.S., Russia and China can truly understand that to destroy an opponent, the entire world risks destruction. Trump’s sacrifice of Europe’s imagined world order was in fact to preserve the real, albeit imperfect, world.

Europe’s second misconception is underestimating itself.

Europe was not initially kicked off the table by the U.S.; rather, it voluntarily crawled under the table out of intellectual shortsightedness or laziness, leading to its current predicament.
NATO has always been a tool used by the U.S. to contain the Soviet Union and Russia under a bipolar system. Europe once lived in the shadow of the Red Giant and had to become part of this encirclement. The Cold War propaganda focused on interests, causing Europeans to overlook the costs. It seemed as though aligning with the U.S. would bring safety and prosperity forever. This mentality still exists today, even after the Soviet Union’s collapse.

For instance, when the U.S. proposed sanctions on Russia and aid to Ukraine, many terms clearly contradicted Europe’s interests—such as abandoning stable, cheap Russian gas pipelines in favor of expensive U.S. liquefied natural gas—but still, they were loyally implemented.

Protesters attend a demonstration against rising energy prices on Parliament Square in London, 2022

Though today’s Europeans excel at reflecting on their colonial history, they seem to have forgotten that when a government does not represent its people’s interests and merely obeys another government, we call it a vassal state or a puppet.

This economic and security blind obedience is Europe’s self-exile and the most incoherent part of the world order they imagine. European countries like to tout slogans of equality and freedom, but when developing policies on Russia, they fail to position themselves as sovereign states equal to the US, making independent decisions. JD Vance merely exposed their contradictory illusions, yet The Guardian now criticizes him for causing the collapse of their world order. This dullness is truly regrettable.

In conclusion, for China, the U.S. taking the initiative to ease relations with Russia is a positive signal. This means some Western policymakers are starting to reassess problems from a practical standpoint. Today, China is also a pole that can never be eliminated. If the U.S. continues this pragmatic and materialist approach to reconsidering China-U.S. issues, both countries and the world will enjoy more substantial and stable development.

As for Europe and Ukraine, there are two moments when they should wake up from their collective illusions: one is the past, and the other is now. Perhaps Europeans should consider awarding President Trump a Nobel Peace Prize because he is about to effectively end a war that has lasted for almost 3 years in Europe.

Editor: Charriot Zhai