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He also predicts that Russia’s undoing won’t come on the battlefield.
He also predicts that Russia’s undoing won’t come on the battlefield.
What is happening?
On August 28, Russian missile and drone strikes devastated Kyiv in one of the war’s worst assaults.
At least 23 people died, including four children. Homes, a shopping mall, and offices used by the EU and British Council were hit.
Trump was “not surprised”
Donald Trump offered only a muted response to the strikes, saying he was “not surprised” and found them “very bad timing.”
His remarks were posted on X and echoed by aides, but critics say they lacked urgency or moral clarity.
He described the war as a long-standing conflict between “two countries at war for a very long time.”
White House spokesperson doubles down
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tried to explain Trump’s tone by pointing to Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries.
This equivalence — comparing energy infrastructure with civilian targets — drew backlash.
Many saw it as downplaying Russia’s aggression and shifting blame to Ukraine.
Ukrainian voice slams Trump’s weakness
Vladyslav Boycheko, CEO of Hope for Ukraine, publicly criticized Trump’s stance.
He said the president’s words showed fear rather than leadership.
“This is not even lukewarm — it’s a scared reaction,” he told Express.co.uk.
“Putin scared him”
Boycheko claimed Trump may be politically cornered by Putin.
“He is afraid to condemn anything Putin does because I believe Putin told him things that really scared him.”
This fear, he suggested, prevents Trump from taking a firm stance.
Misreading Putin’s psychology
Boycheko argued that Trump misunderstood who he was dealing with.
Were charm, bribes and personal diplomacy might have worked on another Russian leader, Putin is like a computer, basically without feelings, Boycheko said.
“He thought he could use charm, bribes, or personal diplomacy,” he said.
“But Putin is not that type of person. Putin has no feelings. He is like a computer.”
Peace talks or strategic delay?
Trump has promoted a peace process with Putin, including a summer summit in Alaska.
Boycheko believes these talks serve no real purpose, and Putin is using them to waste time and deliberately not produce any real results.
China’s role in ending the war
In Boycheko’s view, only one global leader can stop the war immediately: Xi Jinping.
“If Xi picked up the phone and threatened to stop supporting Russia’s economy, Putin would back off,” he said.
China now holds more sway over Russia than any Western power.
China’s “little brother”
Boycheko claims Russia is now subordinate to China.
Beijing, he believes, is using Moscow as a proxy in a broader contest against the West.
Not just Ukraine
The war is no longer just about Ukraine, Boycheko warned.
To him, this is a wider clash between democracies and autocracies.
While the U.S., UK and Germany is focused on Ukraine, the Eastern bloc is chipping away at influence elsewhere.
Europe must stop relying on the US
With US leadership uncertain, Boycheko urged European powers to take the lead.
He called on the UK, France, and Germany to create their own defense strategies.
Time to build weapons
Beyond diplomacy, Boycheko said Europe must act.
He urged countries to invest in drones, build more weapons, and restructure their militaries.
Sanctions must go further
Boycheko stressed that Russia’s war depends on money — and it’s time to cut off the flow.
He called for new sanctions against the “shadow fleet” of ships moving Russian oil.
He also claimed that the U.S. knows who the shipping companies are, as they all use Swift – a global messaging system for banks.
Russia’s breaking point will be Internal
Boycheko predicts Russia’s undoing won’t come on the battlefield.
Instead, the internal pressure on the Russian leadership will be the beginning of the end.
“This war costs them a billion dollars a day,” he said. “Once the fridge starts getting empty, that’s when Russians will complain.”
Hope still exists — if the West acts
Despite the bleak outlook, Boycheko sees hope.
A united, strategic Western approach — especially one that targets Putin’s wallet — could end the war sooner than many expect.
