Washington, August 21, 2025 – U.S. President Donald Trump is stepping back from direct involvement in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, according to officials cited by the British daily The Guardian.
The report suggests Trump now wants Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to hold a bilateral meeting before he considers hosting a trilateral summit.
Waiting on Putin–Zelenskyy
Sources said Trump has told his top advisers that a trilateral meeting will only take place once the two leaders have met face-to-face, though it remains unclear whether such a meeting will even happen. For now, Trump appears reluctant to push the process forward, adopting what officials describe as a “wait-and-see approach.”
In a radio interview earlier this week, Trump said: “I just want to see what happens at their meeting. They’re in the process of organizing it, and we’ll see what comes out of it.”
Setbacks to Trump’s 24-Hour Peace Pledge
Trump’s hesitancy comes after he acknowledged that ending the war is far more difficult than he initially expected. During his presidential campaign, he had claimed he could end the conflict in 24 hours. His self-imposed deadline for Russia to halt its invasion expired earlier this month without results.
After recent talks in the White House with Zelenskyy and European leaders, Trump emphasized progress toward a bilateral Putin–Zelenskyy meeting, but little tangible movement has been reported.
Ongoing U.S.–Russia–Ukraine Engagement
The White House insisted in a statement that Trump and his national security team remain in contact with both Russian and Ukrainian officials, stressing: “It is not in the national interest to negotiate these matters publicly.”
Following meetings in Washington, Trump spoke by phone with Putin for about 40 minutes. According to Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov, both leaders agreed to appoint senior negotiators to explore direct Russia–Ukraine talks.
NATO, Security Guarantees, and Obstacles
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently expressed optimism that a Putin–Zelenskyy meeting could be arranged within two weeks. However, Putin has so far resisted Zelenskyy’s calls for direct talks since the war began.
Zelenskyy stressed that discussions with Trump and European leaders focused on security guarantees for Ukraine, ensuring Russia cannot resume hostilities after any peace deal. Trump has offered to provide such guarantees but ruled out sending U.S. troops.
Instead, Washington is expected to contribute intelligence support and potentially air power assistance. Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff earlier claimed Putin had agreed in principle that the U.S. could offer Ukraine a NATO-like defense guarantee, though Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov countered that Moscow itself should also act as a guarantor—an idea the White House reportedly dismissed.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has proposed a $90 billion plan involving U.S. weapons purchases through Europe and Ukrainian drone sales to Washington. It remains unclear if this will be part of the broader defense agreement.
