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Home / Ukraine-Russia / Ukraine faces a growing risk of outright military collapse if no deal struck
Ukraine‑Russia, Europe and Eurasia, Russia, Ukraine

May 21, 2025

Ukraine faces a growing risk of outright military collapse if no deal struck

By Daniel Davis

In Trump’s Truth Social post following his phone call with Putin last Monday, the U.S. President wrote the “tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent.” Putin also voiced guarded optimism, adding the call was, “very meaningful.” Words aside, the realities on the ground do not indicate peace is any closer today than before the call.

If Trump and Putin made optimistic comments following the phone call, there were anxious comments coming from European and Ukrainian leaders. Their angst is well placed—though not because their positions are solid or logical. Rather, it is the European and Ukrainian unwillingness to acknowledge painfully evident ground-truth realities that keeps them at odds with Trump’s views.

That is a real problem, at least for Ukraine.

Read at 19FortyFive

Author

Photo of Daniel Davis

Daniel
Davis

Senior Fellow & Military Expert

Defense Priorities

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