President Donald Trump says it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia “fight for a while” before pulling them apart and pursuing peace.

But halting progress, ever-more deadly drone attacks and unmoving negotiating positions seem to have taken their toll. On Thursday, Trump used a striking analogy to concede the warfare was nowhere near over, and that he did not, at that moment, feel it was best to intervene.

During a visit by the German leader, President Trump essentially threw up his hands, saying that there was nothing the United States could do right now to end the war.