Trump’s call with Putin, briefly explained

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Welcome to The Logoff: Today we’re focusing on a new development in Ukraine that gives us more insight into Donald Trump’s approach to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

What’s the latest? Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy are each supporting a 30-day pause in attacks on “energy and infrastructure,” such as power plants and refineries. The planned pause follows a lengthy phone call between Trump and Putin earlier today.

Putin did not agree to a full ceasefire, which Trump has proposed and which Ukraine had assented to earlier. Russia put out a post-call statement suggesting that it would only agree if foreign countries cut off military and intelligence aid to Ukraine — a demand Trump has not agreed to.

What hasn’t changed? Fighting along the front lines, and presumably also drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, will continue. The US will also continue providing weapons and intelligence to Ukraine, after briefly suspending both earlier this month.

What’s the big picture for Ukraine? The optimistic take on what happened today is that the two sides are talking — via the US — and that this could be the basis for a broader ceasefire. On the other hand, recent statements from Russian officials suggest they’re still pushing for a demilitarized and subservient Ukraine. And Putin may be doing just enough to keep Trump happy while continuing to press his advantage on the battlefield.

What did we learn about Trump? Trump didn’t totally sell Ukraine out, which seemed like a real possibility just a few weeks ago. On the other hand, he also doesn’t seem to put pressure on Russia to agree to a real ceasefire, as he did with Ukraine. Trump’s own statement about the call makes it seem like he was satisfied with the result, despite Putin’s unwillingness to back down.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

Part of the lure of social media is the promise of external validation, and so I really appreciated this piece from my Vox colleague Allie Volpe. It explains why we’re hard-wired to seek validation — and how we can avoid being trapped by that need. I particularly loved this line: “What is far more nourishing than the sugar high of validation is an internal process of recognizing your own worthiness.”

It’s easier said than done, but, for me at least, it’s a good aspiration. Thanks so much for reading, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow.