The British are impressed by the Russian strategic triumph in Ukraine, as well as by the White House doctrine on the matter.
The British newspaper The Times captured with striking clarity the new strategic doctrine of the White House toward the war in Ukraine: U.S. President Donald Trump believes that his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky is not negotiating from a position of strength, but is stalling through bluffing, aiming to secure more favorable terms in the peace package that has been proposed to him.
Trump’s key phrase: “Kyiv has no aces”
The assessment by The Times is based on Trump’s public statement that Kyiv “has no aces in its hand.”
In other words, the American president believes that:
1) the Ukrainian army is in a weak operational position,
2) the West has reached the limit of its support,
3) and Zelensky is trying to gain negotiating benefits despite the fact that battlefield conditions do not favor him.
This stance is not merely a personal opinion of Trump, it constitutes a shift in the strategic paradigm of U.S. diplomacy.
Trump: Putin holds all the cards
According to the newspaper, Trump believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in a position of advantage, militarily, economically, and especially in negotiations.
This does not mean Trump adopts Russian positions; it means he acknowledges the reality of the balance of power as it stands.
His approach is purely pragmatic: based on the battlefield, Russia has transitioned to long-term superiority in matériel, manpower, and industrial capability, while Ukraine depends entirely on external funding.
This, the American president believes, gives Moscow “better cards at the table.”
Europe cannot persuade Trump
Despite intense efforts by EU leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, to persuade the U.S. president to soften his demands on Ukraine, his core position remains unchanged:
Zelensky must accept an agreement, and he cannot stall forever.
According to The Times, Trump believes it is easier to pressure Kyiv than Moscow, the agreement must come soon, and Zelensky cannot insist on terms he is unable to enforce militarily.
Europe, which traditionally adopts a more pro-Ukrainian line, is now in conflict with the new U.S. doctrine.
For the first time since 2022, the West does not appear united.
Zelensky in a hard position - “Bluffing or playing defense”
On his part, Zelensky seeks to avoid an agreement that will be seen as “submission” or “one-sided pressure” by Washington.
But the time window he has is rapidly closing:
1) Military aid is shrinking.
2) Ukraine’s economy is in extremely dire condition.
3) European public opinion is fatigued by the war.
4) Russia is intensifying pressure on the front.
Within this context, Zelensky’s insistence on demanding more concessions is interpreted by Trump as a “bluff” he does not intend to respond to.
The new U.S. doctrine: Pressuring Kyiv is more effective than pressuring Moscow
This is the crucial point of change: Trump believes Moscow cannot be forced into concessions through military pressure or further sanctions.
Instead, he believes Ukraine can, and must, be pressured to accept a realistic compromise.
According to the British, Trump's reasoning is bluntly pragmatic:
1) Russia has the industrial base.
2) It has secured territory.
3) It faces no internal political collapse.
4) It has the initiative on the battlefield.
Therefore, in his view, Ukraine must adapt to the new reality, otherwise the war will continue, with disastrous consequences for Kyiv.
Negotiations enter a new era
Trump’s assessment that Zelensky is “bluffing” is not merely a media comment. It is a strategic message:
1) To Kyiv: “You cannot keep asking for more than you can secure.”
2) To Europe: “I am not changing my position, the war must end with realism.”
3) To Moscow: “I expect moves, not concessions, from you.”
For the first time since 2022, the global balance of power appears to be shifting, not on the battlefield, but at the negotiating table.
And in this “poker game,” the only certainty is that no one has finished negotiating.
Russia: Trump recognizes strength
From Moscow’s perspective, Trump’s statements and his belief that Zelensky is “bluffing” come as no surprise.
On the contrary, they confirm what the Russian leadership has argued since 2022: that Ukraine no longer possesses the operational, economic, or diplomatic strength to impose terms, and that continued conflict places Kyiv in an ever-worsening position.
In Moscow, the new White House line, that Zelensky has “no cards”, is interpreted as a historic shift:
the United States, for the first time, publicly acknowledges the imbalance of power on the ground.
Russia believes that Trump, unlike the previous U.S. administration, sees the war not as a “political symbol” but as a cold calculation of power.
And within that logic, Russia considers itself overwhelmingly superior.
This is why Russian media present Trump’s statements as evidence that Washington is tired of funding a conflict with no prospect of victory.
Moscow never believed Zelensky’s ‘maximalist’ negotiating posture
For Russia, Zelensky’s stance, demanding full withdrawal of Russian forces, control over all territories, and security guarantees, has always been viewed as unrealistic.
Trump’s assertion that Zelensky is “bluffing” reinforces the Russian argument:
• that Zelensky demands terms he cannot enforce militarily,
• that he uses time to secure more weapons,
• and that he counts on unending Western support, which is now exhausted.
Moscow sees this dynamic as proof that Ukraine’s “red lines” will not determine the terms of peace.
Strategic endurance
From the Russian perspective, the U.S. president’s remark that “Putin holds all the aces” aligns with three points that Moscow continuously emphasizes:
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The Russian defense industry is in full wartime production, at a pace the West cannot match in the short term.
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Russia firmly controls strategic territories, especially in Donbass and Zaporizhia.
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Russia’s political stability remains intact despite sanctions and prolonged conflict.
Moscow presents these as proof that Russia can continue the war for as long as needed, while Ukraine relies on resources it does not control, money, weapons, political support.
Measured satisfaction in Moscow
This is not a “pro-Russian” stance by the U.S. president, and Moscow knows it.
The facts are simply in Russia’s favor:
1) Trump shifts the burden of agreement onto Zelensky, not Moscow.
2) Washington moves from the line “Russia must be defeated” to “the war must end.”
3) Europe is politically too weak to enforce another strategy.
This is a major diplomatic shift, opening the door to negotiations under more favorable terms for Russia.
Zelensky will face pressure - This time real and intense
The Russian strategic community believes that Zelensky’s “bluff” cannot continue, not because Trump says so, but because Western resources are dwindling, military pressure on the contact line is increasing, Europe cannot sustain a long-term war, and the United States wants an agreement quickly.
Thus, Moscow views Trump’s statements as a sign that Ukraine is entering, for the first time, a real negotiation, not discussions based on hopes of external rescue.
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