The president called for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine before entering office, and more than two months of direct diplomacy has failed to get Putin to agree to even basic terms.

But what does walking away from talks mean for Ukraine? In short, it leaves Kyiv and its European backers in a bind.

Several months of intensified U.S. and European pressure on the two sides to accept a ceasefire and negotiate a settlement have yielded little progress.