The pivot likely reflects Trump's personal disillusionment with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, he added.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has already praised this tougher stance, while cautioning that 50 days, the length of time Trump has given to get its side of a peace deal finalized, "is a very long time."

Speaking to ERR's Laura Kalam, Prikk said: "50 days is obviously a very long time, especially considering how many people have been injured or killed under Russian attacks in Ukraine in the last 50 days. But in this situation, it is important to focus on what is positive. And every step taken toward a stable and just end to the war—as we see it—is a positive step, including the delivery of weapons to Ukraine to help them not only hold their ground but improve their position."

"As for the 50 days—we don't yet know what will happen exactly, whether 50 days is final or whether it may turn out that President Trump's patience will be tested further and that time will be shortened. But it's a bit too early to speculate," the diplomat went on.

"I don't believe President Trump himself knows exactly what will happen after 50 days," Prikk added, referencing the president's form in changing his mind on a dime, since his re-entry into office in January.

Developments were also unusual in that Trump praised European allies more than he usually would do. At the same time, Prikk said, while welcome, this is not an end goal in itself.

"He doesn't do it very often, perhaps, but still, in recent weeks we've heard several positive assessments of European allies and NATO from him. It's quite clear that the NATO summit in The Hague had a positive influence on shaping Trump's understanding and attitude toward NATO," he said, adding that speaking relief can only come when the war in Ukraine ends with Russian aggression being repelled.

All this means that Europe continues to play a pivotal role when it comes to Ukraine.

"I firmly believe that Europe's independent and principle-based decisions and actions are something that also help the U.S. stay, so to speak, on the right track."

Prikk stressed that the explicit recognition of the threat and the urgent need for sanctions, too, are positive developments, pointing out the EU's active work on the 17th and 18th sanctions packages, and are critical steps in countering Russian aggression.

As for the reasons behind Trump's shift, the x noted that: "Trump is following a similar pattern we've seen in a few other cases," referencing the U.S. airstrikes on Iran in last month's 12-day war, where Trump declared, "I am the one who created the America First movement."

Prikk believes Trump's recent shift in tone toward Putin stems from personal frustration. He explained, "Trump repeatedly expressed personal resentment... trying to achieve something with a carrot, and despite this, Russia has repeatedly escalated [the war in Ukraine]." This resentment, Prikk noted, has become a key theme in Trump's comments about Putin in recent weeks.

Prikk also noted how Trump emphasized that funding for weapons would come "from outside the U.S.," despite the lack of clarity on specifics.

As for NATO, while Secretary General Mark Rutte may not exactly be patting himself on the back, his role in clarifying the stakes with Trump and strengthening NATO's position on Russia has also been a positive development, though today's consensus is but a "small step" in the right direction, Prikk added.

Trump's pledge of more U.S. weapons to Ukraine, despite the unclear details, has also been met with cautious optimism from Kyiv. Many European nations, meanwhile, especially those dependent on Russian energy, are concerned about the financial and strategic impact of Trump's threatened sanctions and the 50-day time-span.

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