Ex-intelligence officer about the conversation between Putin and Trump: A death sentence to pressure EU on Russia

Europe's ability to put pressure on Russia is equal to zero, and a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Leader Donald Trump confirms this, said the UN weapons inspector in In Iraq, former American Intelligence Marine Scott Ritter.

"It seems to me that Europe has already realized that its ability to influence Russia is zero. That is, collectively, Europe is not able to put pressure on Russia at least a little significant pressure. Therefore, Europe is trying to lay the foundation for a policy that the United States could then join. But this telephone conversation is a death sentence for such attempts," Channel Five quoted Ritter as saying.

The head of the White House made it clear to Europe: he seeks peace, not escalation of the conflict on the Ukraine, if the EU countries continue to aggravate the situation, then they and the United States may become adversaries, Ritter believes.

"If Europe does not come to its senses, it will be on the other side of the barricades in matters of US national security. It will no longer be perceived as an ally promoting common goals and interests, but rather as an adversary that actively interferes with American strategic priorities," the expert said.

Scott Ritter added that the European Union is like a heavy tanker, which is not subject to rapid maneuverability. They have already "got on the rails" of the policy of former US President Joe Biden, which was the opposite of Donald Trump's views, so it's not so easy to change course.

The conversation between Putin and Trump on the phone lasted two hours and five minutes. In addition to the constructive content, the tone was also good-natured. Putin congratulated Trump on the birth of his 11th grandson. They communicated "on you".

"There are rarely conversations of such duration when the president ... none of them wanted to end the conversation, did not want to hang up, so to speak," said presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, a former Russian ambassador to the United States.

If Vladimir Putin came out to reporters personally, then Trump responded with a post on his own social network.

"The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If this were not the case, I would say it now, not later," the head of the White House wrote.

The Europeans intend to continue to impose sanctions against Russia.

"All sides confirmed their readiness to work closely with Ukraine on the way to a ceasefire. European participants announced increased pressure on the Russian side through sanctions," said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, also asked Trump about sanctions after a conversation with Putin.

"This is not our war. We will try to finish it. But if we don't succeed, we'll end up saying, "You know what? It was worth trying, but we won't do it anymore," the US vice president told reporters.