In the news
On 14 April, Russia conducted drone attacks on Odesa, a port city in Ukraine located on the Black Sea, wounding three people and causing severe damage to infrastructure. On 13 April, Russia attacked Sumy, a city in north-east Ukraine, by launching Iskander missiles, killing 35 people and wounding 117 others. 

On 15 April, NATO Secretary-General, Mark Rutte, met Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Odesa. The NATO chief assured Zelenskyy of steadfast support to Ukraine. Further, Rutte said “Russia is the aggressor, Russia started this war, there’s no doubt.”     

On 14 April, US President Donald Trump termed Russia’s attack on Sumy as “terrible.” However, on the attack, he hinted that Russia might have “made a mistake.” In a response to an interviewer, Trump criticised Zelenskyy and said: “You don’t start a war against somebody that’s 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles.” 

On 13 April, Zelenskyy in an interview appealed to US President Donald Trump for coming to Ukraine prior to inking any sort of agreement with Russia for ending the conflict in Ukraine. 

Issues at large
First, Trump’s troubled relationship with Zelenskyy. Trump has shared a troublesome relationship with Zelenskyy before assuming the US Presidency. He had alleged that Zelenskyy was hoping the Democrats to clinch victory in the US elections. He called him the “greatest salesman on earth.” Zelenskyy had expressed scepticism over Trump’s capacity to put an end to the war and labelled the current US Vice President J D Vance “too radical.” Before the meeting at the Oval Office with President Zelenskyy in February, Trump labelled him as a “dictator.” He claimed that Zelenskyy had been proficient in manipulating former US President Joe Biden. He further alleged that Zelenskyy has been dodging holding elections in Ukraine. He had questioned Zelenskyy’s popularity in the country, given the devastation witnessed by some of the major towns of Ukraine owing to the war with Russia. Additionally, the infamous shouting contest at the Oval Office between Zelenskyy and Trump had exposed the severe bitterness in the relationship between the two.   

Second, Trump’s hot and cold relationship with Putin. After Russia launched the war in Ukraine in February 2022, Trump labelled Putin as “a genius” for recognising the autonomy of Donetsk and Luhansk. However, took a quick U-turn when he compared the invasion with a holocaust. He has been reiterating that the war would have never happened had he been the US President. After assuming the Presidency, Trump claimed that Putin is harming Russia by not agreeing to “make a deal” to end the war. In February, during the Trump-Putin first telephonic conversation, Trump appreciated Putin for investing his “time and effort” to put an end to the war. In February, at the UN General Assembly, the US and Russia voted against a resolution which criticised the latter's invasion and backed the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine. At the UN Security Council, the US had put forward a resolution which urged putting a stop to the war, however, deliberately omitting vilification of Russia. In March, Trump expressed his frustration over Putin not halting the attacks on Ukraine. Trump had questioned Putin’s demand to install a “temporary administration” in Ukraine while negotiating a peace agreement. He threatened that Russia would have to face severe economic sanctions if it did not agree to a peace deal. 

Third, Russia’s continual attacks on Ukraine.  Russia has continued its offensive approach against Ukraine after Trump assumed the US Presidency. Soon after agreeing not to attack Ukraine’s energy installation on 18 March, Russia initiated drone attacks on Kropyvnytskyi, injuring 14 people and causing devastation to the “railway power grid.” The latest attack on Odesa is a testimony to another failed attempt by the US to achieve a ceasefire. The US had announced making separate deals with Russia and Ukraine for halting attacks in the Black Sea. On 4 April, Russia launched assaults on Kryvyi Rih. The missile assault killed 19 people.

Fourth, the divide in Europe regarding support for Ukraine. On 20 March, the EU leaders expressed their resolve to continue their financial assistance to Ukraine. The Vice President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, expressed her optimism towards the EU’s ability to support Ukraine with EUR 40 billion worth of military assistance. However, the plan could not be formulated because of divergent opinions among the EU member states regarding the flow of aid to Ukraine. Kallas had to decrease the amount to EUR five billion, which still failed to garner sufficient support from the member countries.   
 
In perspective
First, Trump’s attitude towards Zelenskyy is unlikely to change. Trump would prefer someone else holding Ukraine’s highest office who has not openly backed the Democrats in the US.

Second, Russia would continue to take advantage of the weak position of Ukraine whenever it can. Unless there is a change in leadership in Ukraine, Russia will not take the ceasefire seriously.

Third, the divide among the EU over continuing financial and military assistance would further widen. The rise of the right-wing political parties in Europe signifies that the voices calling for putting an end to the assistance to Ukraine would only get louder.