US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he hopes to broker an end to the war in Ukraine but acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin may reject any settlement proposal, a move that would create what he called a “rough situation” for Moscow.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump reiterated that no American troops would be deployed to Ukraine and provided no specifics about the security guarantees Washington has promised Kyiv. “I think Putin is tired of it. I think they’re all tired of it, but you never know,” Trump said. “It’s possible that he doesn’t want to make a deal.”
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The remarks came after an extraordinary summit at the White House on Monday, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stood alongside Trump and European leaders, calling the talks a “major step forward” towards peace. The summit also paved the way for a potential trilateral meeting involving Trump, Putin, and Zelenskiy in the coming weeks.
While Ukraine’s allies welcomed Trump’s assurances of future security guarantees, uncertainty remains over their scope and Russia’s willingness to cooperate. Analysts warned that Zelenskiy may face difficult compromises to end the war, which has left more than 1 million people dead or wounded since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Meanwhile, fighting continued on the ground. Ukraine reported that Russia launched 270 drones and 10 missiles overnight, targeting energy facilities in Poltava and sparking large fires. Moscow also returned the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers in exchange for 19 Russian servicemen.
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Experts say both Kyiv and Moscow are cautiously navigating Trump’s push for peace. “They’re all tiptoeing around Trump,” said Neil Melvin of the Royal United Services Institute, adding that Trump’s vague promises on security guarantees leave key questions unanswered.
Despite the uncertainty, NATO military leaders are scheduled to meet this week to advance talks on Ukraine, while Washington and its European partners explore new sanctions and security frameworks designed to pressure Russia into negotiations.
