President Donald Trump expressed cautious optimism about the ongoing war in Ukraine, suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin might move toward ending the conflict—but warned that the Kremlin leader could refuse to strike a deal, putting himself in a “rough situation.”
Speaking on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends”, Trump said he expects Putin’s intentions to become clearer in the coming weeks. He ruled out the deployment of American troops on Ukrainian soil and provided no details on the security guarantees he has proposed for Kyiv under any potential post-war settlement.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem to reach a peace deal, to be honest with you. I think Putin is tired of it. I think they’re all tired of it, but you never know,” Trump said.
White House Summit and Security Guarantees
Trump’s comments came shortly after an extraordinary summit at the White House, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met with leaders from Germany, France, and Britain. Zelenskiy hailed the talks as a “major step forward” toward ending Europe’s deadliest conflict in 80 years and indicated plans for a potential trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump.
While the summit brought a temporary sense of optimism, key details about the nature of security guarantees and what the U.S. plans to offer Ukraine remain unclear. Analysts have noted that Zelenskiy may face difficult compromises to achieve peace.
Continued Fighting Amid Diplomacy
Despite the high-level talks, Russian attacks continue. Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles overnight, targeting energy facilities, including Ukraine’s only oil refinery in the Poltava region, causing significant fires.
However, Russia returned the bodies of 1,000 deceased Ukrainian soldiers, while Moscow received 19 of its own soldiers in return, according to reports.
John Foreman, former British defense attaché to Kyiv and Moscow, told Reuters that the summit avoided a blow-up, noting: “Trump didn’t demand Ukrainian capitulation nor cut off support. The mood music was positive and the trans-Atlantic alliance lives on.”
International Discussions and NATO Involvement
Following the summit, Ukraine’s allies held talks in a “Coalition of the Willing” format to discuss additional sanctions and security guarantees. Planning teams are expected to meet U.S. counterparts to formalize these measures. NATO military leaders, including U.S. General Dan Caine, are also set to discuss Ukraine in upcoming sessions.
Zelenskiy confirmed on X (formerly Twitter): “We are now actively working at all levels on the specifics, on what the architecture of the guarantees will look like, with all members of the Coalition of the Willing, and very concretely with the United States.”
Russia’s Position
Moscow has not agreed to a formal meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that any summit must be prepared with utmost thoroughness, while Putin has reiterated that NATO troops in Ukraine are unacceptable and continues to demand territory beyond areas under Russian control.
Neil Melvin, director of International Security at the Royal United Services Institute, warned that Russia could prolong the war while deflecting U.S. pressure, noting that leaders are “tiptoeing around Trump” to avoid being seen as obstacles to a peace process.
