Polish President Andrzej Duda reached out to Donald Trump, urging him to amplify economic pressure on Russia to compel it to end its aggression against Ukraine. He believes that Trump is the only one capable of bringing Putin to the negotiation table.

Source: Duda in an interview with Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, reported by Politico

Details: On May 5, Duda stated that the U.S. possesses tools that can significantly impact the Kremlin. In his view, only Trump holds real leverage over the Russian leader.

Direct quote: "America can employ various economic instruments to compel Russia to act. Therefore, if anyone can persuade Vladimir Putin to make peace, it is America, the President of the United States."

Details: Duda emphasized that Trump has "seen the real picture" after recent discussions with Putin and has "the necessary tools to block Putin's key interests."

Direct quote: "The President of the United States has at his disposal means that can compel Russia to comply with demands. Some of these means could be quite radical, very harsh, especially in economic terms. But I believe that President Donald Trump is capable of implementing them."

Details: Duda's comments reflect the hopes of many European leaders who are counting on Trump to leverage his influence over Moscow, as his pressure has predominantly been focused on Ukraine thus far.

Trump has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not become a NATO member and has proposed peace options that involve recognizing Crimea as part of Russia.

Since returning to the political scene, Trump has claimed multiple times that he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine in 24 hours. As part of this strategy, he sent his representative Steve Witkoff to Moscow for negotiations, but these meetings did not lead to any weakening of Russian demands.

Direct quote: "However, it seems that Trump is ready to change his approach. After a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome, Trump mentioned that he is considering imposing sanctions on Russia in response to continued attacks on civilian infrastructure."