Russia rejoices at Trump-Putin call as alarm bells ring in Europe

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a video conference meeting with Bryansk region governor Alexander Bogomaz at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Russian officials and state media took a triumphant tone after US President Donald Trump jettisoned three years of Us policy and announced he would likely meet soon with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate a peace deal in the almost three-year war in Ukraine.

Mr Trump’s change of tack seemed to identify Mr Putin as the only player that matters in ending the fighting and looked set to side-line Ukrainian President Zelensky, as well as European governments, in any peace negotiations.