<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-0"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Nearly six months after his inauguration, when President Trump pledged he would measure his success by “the wars we end” and “the wars we never get into,” he is adopting an approach toward Russia that on the surface looks much like his predecessor’s: arming the Ukrainians to fight off an invasion.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Mr. Trump came to this point in a circular fashion, and if these past few months are any indication, there is reason to doubt he will stick with it.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">A first test may come on Monday and Tuesday, when Mr. Trump meets at the White House with the secretary general of NATO, Mark Rutte, and is expected to formally announce <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/world/europe/trump-nato-weapons-ukraine.html" title="">new plans</a> to route American arms to Kyiv through European allies. He also appears to be moving to embrace new sanctions European leaders are <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/10/world/europe/trump-ukraine-russia-europe.html" title="">pushing</a> to put more pressure on President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The president is a late and very reluctant convert to the approach of trying to confront and isolate Mr. Putin.</p></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div><div data-testid="Dropzone-1"></div><div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-1"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">During last year’s presidential campaign, Mr. Trump vowed a quick resolution of the war because he said he alone had the stature to deal with the Russian leader. Once he took office, he blamed the Ukrainians themselves for Russia’s invasion of their own country. Then he clashed with President Volodymyr Zelensky in an extraordinary Oval Office display, telling him, “You don’t have the cards.” He gave Russia a pass on tariffs and praised Mr. Putin for his strength, and <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-war-trump-criticizes-putin-zelenskyy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">provided assurance</a> that Ukraine would never join NATO.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Much of that is seemingly reversed, at least for now.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The president said last week he was “very strongly” considering <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/us/politics/russia-sanctions-senate-thune-trump.html" title="">backing</a> a bipartisan Senate bill that would impose a new sanctions bill that would allow — but not require — Mr. Trump to impose 500 percent tariffs on any country purchasing Russian oil or gas.</p><div class="css-kbghgg"><div class="css-121kum4"><div class="css-171quhb"></div><div class="css-asuuk5"><noscript><div class="css-7axq9l" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="css-1b5b8u1" height="24" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24"><path clip-rule="evenodd" d="M2.5 12a9.5 9.5 0 1 1 19 0 9.5 9.5 0 0 1-19 0Zm8.5 1.75v-7.5h2v7.5h-2Zm0 2v2h2v-2h-2Z" fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd"></path></svg><div class="css-6yo1no" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript-message"><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.</p><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.</p></div></div></noscript><div class="css-1dv1kvn" id="optimistic-truncator-a11y" tabindex="-1"><hr/><p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and <a href="https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F07%2F14%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2Ftrump-ukraine-biden.html&amp;asset=opttrunc">log into</a> your Times account, or <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F07%2F14%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2Ftrump-ukraine-biden.html">subscribe</a> for all of The Times.</p><hr/></div><div class="css-1g71tqy"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="css-63woee" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-spinner" height="24" viewbox="0 0 24 24" width="24"><g fill="currentColor"><path d="M11.28 22.8a.72.72 0 1 0 1.44 0v-6.72a.72.72 0 1 0-1.44 0v6.72Z" opacity=".37"></path><path d="M17.766 21.16a.72.72 0 1 0 1.165-.846l-3.95-5.436a.72.72 0 1 0-1.165.846l3.95 5.437Z" opacity=".26"></path><path d="M1.506 14.653a.72.72 0 0 0 .445 1.37l6.391-2.078a.72.72 0 1 0-.445-1.369l-6.39 2.077Z" opacity=".61"></path><path d="M5.07 20.314a.72.72 0 0 0 1.164.847l3.95-5.437a.72.72 0 1 0-1.165-.846l-3.95 5.436Z" opacity=".48"></path><path d="M22.049 16.022a.72.72 0 0 0 .445-1.37l-6.391-2.076a.72.72 0 1 0-.445 1.37l6.39 2.076Z" opacity=".17"></path><path d="M22.494 9.347a.72.72 0 1 0-.445-1.37l-6.391 2.078a.72.72 0 1 0 .445 1.369l6.39-2.077Z" opacity=".09"></path><path d="M6.234 2.84a.72.72 0 0 0-1.165.846l3.95 5.436a.72.72 0 0 0 1.165-.846l-3.95-5.437Z" opacity=".87"></path><path d="M1.951 7.978a.72.72 0 1 0-.445 1.37l6.391 2.076a.72.72 0 1 0 .445-1.37l-6.39-2.076Z" opacity=".74"></path><path d="M18.93 3.686a.72.72 0 0 0-1.164-.847l-3.95 5.437a.72.72 0 0 0 1.165.846l3.95-5.436Z" opacity=".02"></path><path d="M12.72 1.2a.72.72 0 1 0-1.44 0v6.72a.72.72 0 0 0 1.44 0V1.2Z"></path></g></svg><div class="css-6yo1no" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-message"><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">Thank you for your patience while we verify access.</p><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">Already a subscriber? <a class="css-z5ryv4" data-testid="log-in-link" href="https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F07%2F14%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2Ftrump-ukraine-biden.html&amp;asset=opttrunc">Log in</a>.</p><p class="css-3kpklk" data-tpl="t">Want all of The Times? <a class="css-z5ryv4" data-testid="subscribe-link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2025%2F07%2F14%2Fus%2Fpolitics%2Ftrump-ukraine-biden.html">Subscribe</a>.</p></div></div></div></div></div></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div>