In recent days, U.S. media outlets such as The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal have continued to cast doubt on President Trump’s heavily promoted Russia-Ukraine peace plan. On the 22nd, Trump himself admitted he was “unhappy,” saying he would set a two-week deadline to assess the feasibility of Russia-Ukraine peace talks.
“Optimism is Fading”
On the 18th, U.S., Ukrainian, and European leaders met at the White House. At that time, Trump spoke with great confidence, saying that Russia and Ukraine did not need to agree to a ceasefire first, but could “go straight into” peace negotiations to reach an agreement. He expressed hope that a Russia-Ukraine leaders’ summit could be held by the end of this month.
By the 21st, Trump had posted a rather ambiguous message on social media: “To win a war without attacking the aggressor nation is, if not entirely impossible, extremely difficult. It’s like a top sports team with great defense being forbidden to play offense—it’s simply impossible to win! That’s exactly the situation between Ukraine and Russia.”
Some Western media interpreted this as Trump sending a message to Ukrainian President Zelensky, implying that Ukraine “simply cannot win.” Others argued that Trump was actually encouraging Ukraine to strike Russia.
On the 22nd, Russia stated that a meeting between Russian and Ukrainian leaders had not been scheduled. When asked by an American reporter what the U.S. would do if Russian President Putin refused to meet Zelensky, Trump responded: “I’ll see whose fault it is. If there’s a reason, I’ll understand—it’s perfectly clear to me how I make my decisions… If they don’t meet, why not? I made them meet.”
According to Trump’s latest remarks, if no progress is seen within two weeks toward ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the U.S. may take action against Russia. “This will be a very important decision—massive sanctions or massive tariffs, or both, or neither.”
Meanwhile, Trump mentioned that a U.S. company’s factory in Ukraine had come under attack. Ukraine said the Russian strike caused a fire and multiple injuries. Trump said he was “not happy about it” and added, “I’m not happy about anything related to that war.”
The Washington Post commented that Trump’s latest remarks marked a “major shift” in his stance. The Wall Street Journal noted that this change underscored how optimism about Trump brokering an end to the war was fading.
The Associated Press reported that just four days after the White House meeting on the 18th, Trump’s optimism had cooled. Britain’s Guardian wrote that Trump’s comments clearly showed his frustration with the slow progress toward a potential peace agreement.
“Major Tactical Mistake”
Over the past week, Trump has repeatedly stated that Russia and Ukraine should sign a peace agreement directly rather than a ceasefire, suggesting that both sides could “fight while negotiating.” He also pressured Zelensky, saying, “If Zelensky wanted to, he could end the war with Russia almost immediately. He (Zelensky) could also choose to keep fighting.”
Richard Haass, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, said in an interview with Politico that skipping a ceasefire and moving straight to a peace agreement is a major tactical mistake, one that is highly likely to prolong the conflict and make it harder to end.
Haass explained that a ceasefire is currently the most desirable and realistic goal, as it would halt hostilities and end direct military contact between Russia and Ukraine. Formal peace talks would take much longer since they involve numerous complex issues.
Commenting on the idea of going straight to a peace agreement, Haass said it only makes sense when the preconditions for lasting peace are in place. Clearly, such preconditions do not exist at present, given the vast differences between Zelensky and Putin.
High Hurdles for a Russia-Ukraine Leaders’ Meeting
At present, much attention is focused on whether a meeting between Russian and Ukrainian leaders can take place. Judging from recent statements, significant uncertainty still surrounds the prospect of a summit between Putin and Zelensky.
Following the White House meeting between U.S., Ukrainian, and European leaders, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said that Putin had a phone call with Trump at Trump’s request. Both expressed support for the idea of Russian and Ukrainian delegations continuing direct negotiations and discussed the possibility of “raising the level of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on the 21st that Zelensky has yet to revoke the ban on direct talks with Putin. He remarked, “Kyiv’s call for a leaders’ meeting is merely intended to project so-called constructiveness in resolving the Ukraine crisis, substituting such gestures for serious, difficult, and sustainable efforts to settle the conflict.” On the 22nd, Lavrov further stated that a Russia-Ukraine summit has not been scheduled, though Putin is willing to meet Zelensky once an agenda is set. He emphasized, “Some principles the U.S. side believes must be accepted—including Ukraine not joining NATO and addressing territorial issues—have all been rejected by Zelensky.”
Ukraine, meanwhile, has recently stressed issues such as security guarantees and weapons assistance. Zelensky said that if Russia does not agree to end the conflict through diplomacy, then strong and decisive sanctions against Moscow are necessary. On the 23rd, he reiterated his stance on territorial issues, declaring that Ukraine would “not give away its land.”
Western media have analyzed that no consensus has yet been reached on critical issues such as Ukraine’s security guarantees, its NATO membership, and territorial disputes. The hurdles for a Russia-Ukraine leaders’ meeting remain very high. The Associated Press reported that momentum for peace talks has already stalled, with no signs that the White House-promoted bilateral summit is currently in preparation.
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