WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a significant shift from his previous position, U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that the “best way” to end the war in Ukraine is to move directly to a peace agreement, bypassing a preliminary ceasefire. The change in stance was announced in a social media post on Saturday, following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and subsequent phone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders.
Trump’s reversal aligns him with Putin’s long-held position that a temporary truce would not be a viable solution, with the Russian president repeatedly stating that Moscow is seeking a long-term settlement. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”
The development comes after Trump’s highly anticipated summit with Putin in Alaska on Friday, which ended without a concrete deal to halt the fighting. According to reports from European officials familiar with Trump’s subsequent calls, Putin expressed a willingness to freeze the frontlines in the southern regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, in exchange for retaining full control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that make up the Donbas.
Zelenskyy, who has previously rejected any territorial concessions, is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House on Monday afternoon. The meeting is expected to be a key step in clarifying the path forward, as the U.S. and its allies seek to end the conflict. Zelenskyy has expressed support for a trilateral meeting involving the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine, stating that it’s important for all parties to be at the table.
While Trump has declared the talks to be “extremely productive,” he has also acknowledged that there is “no deal until there’s a deal,” indicating that significant obstacles remain. The focus is now on the upcoming meeting with Zelenskyy, which could determine if a comprehensive peace agreement, as proposed by Trump, is a viable option for a war that has raged for over three years.