‘Profoundly naive’ Trump warned he’s playing into Putin’s hands over U | World | News
Donald Trump has been accused of engaging in “extremely naive” diplomacy that risks legitimizing Vladimir Putin’s aggression and pressuring Ukraine to make concessions after his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida. Yuriy Boyechko, CEO and founder of Hope for Ukraine, a nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian aid to war-torn Ukrainians, criticized Mr. Trump’s approach as dangerously detached from reality.
The stark warning followed Mr. Trump’s summit with Mr. Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, which was billed as a move to end Russia’s nearly four-year occupation but was overshadowed by critics’ views that the U.S. president portrayed Putin sympathetically. Mr. Trump confirmed he had a “good and very productive” phone call with the Russian leader hours before meeting Mr. Zelensky and planned another afterward.
Mr. Boyechko called this ranking alarming, arguing that it elevated the attacker to equal status while sidelining the victim.
He said: “This treats Putin as a joint partner whose approval is required and signals to Kiev that peace will come on Moscow’s terms, not international law.”
Concerns grew at the joint news conference, when Mr Trump insisted Mr Putin “wants to see the end of the war” and was “very generous” about Ukraine’s success, even promising Russia help with reconstruction through cheap energy and electricity.
Mr. Boyechko dismissed those claims as fantasy or Kremlin propaganda, noting that Russian forces had launched hundreds of drones and missiles into Kiev just days earlier, paralyzing the force in freezing conditions.
He said: “The idea that Putin, the architect of Europe’s biggest land grab since World War II, is now trying to benevolently rebuild Ukraine is absurd. It gives Putin control of the narrative and imposes concessions on Kiev.”
Mr. Zelensky reportedly rolled his eyes, chuckled and looked confused by Mr. Trump’s words, underlining Ukraine’s predicament: being faced with a negotiator who echoed the occupier’s line.
Mr. Trump has called for a quick deal, implying that Ukraine must reach a deal now to avoid further loss of territory, especially in Donbas, a major flashpoint.
Mr. Boyechko warned that this puts pressure on the victim to create rapid and adverse conditions, rewarding aggression and eroding the security guarantees that Kiev demands.
Both leaders expressed optimism; Mr. Trump said the talks were “much closer, maybe too close,” while Mr. Zelensky praised the “great” talks in which security guarantees were all but finalized.
However, the Donbas region and the ceasefire sequence remain unresolved and Russia has no public concessions.
Mr. Boyechko, whose organization provided millions in aid during the brutal attacks, insisted that real mediation must recognize Putin’s aim: a subjugated Ukraine, not a thriving Ukraine.
He concluded: “A process based on the assumption that Putin is a sincere partner is doomed. It allows Moscow to dictate terms and consolidate gains while ignoring his imperial goals.”
As 2025 draws to a close with intense Russian attacks, Mr. Boyechko suggested that open-minded diplomacy was needed rather than what he saw as appeasement.
