Trump shifts ceasefire stance and urges Ukraine to agree Russia peace deal

26 minutes ago Share Save Asya Robins BBC News Share Save

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Donald Trump has said he wants to bypass a ceasefire in Ukraine to move directly to a permanent peace agreement after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a major shift of position, the US president said on Truth Social following Friday’s summit that this would be “the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine”, adding ceasefires often “do not hold up”. Trump will welcome Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, to Washington on Monday and urged him to agree to a peace deal. Following a phone call with Trump after the summit, Zelensky called for a real, lasting peace, while adding that “the fire must cease” and killings stop.

Trump’s comments indicate a dramatic shift in his position on how to end the war, having said only on Friday ahead of the summit that he wanted a ceasefire “rapidly”. Ukraine’s main demand has been a quick ceasefire before talks about a longer-term settlement, and Trump reportedly told European leaders beforehand that his goal for the summit was to obtain a ceasefire deal. Meanwhile, multiple news outlets reported on Saturday that Putin had presented an offer that involved Ukraine handing over complete control of its eastern Donetsk region, which is 70% occupied by Russia. In return, Russia would reportedly agree to front lines being frozen and other unspecified concessions were apparently offered. The US president, who has previously said any peace deal would involve “some swapping of territories”, is said to have relayed the offer to Zelensky in a phone call following the summit. Just days ago, Ukraine’s president ruled out ceding control of the Donbas region – made up the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk – saying it could be used as a springboard for future Russian attacks. The BBC’s US partner CBS has reported, citing diplomatic sources, that European diplomats were concerned Trump may try to pressure Zelensky on Monday into agreeing to deal terms he and Putin may have discussed at the summit. CBS quotes sources as saying that Trump told European leaders in a call after the summit that Putin would make “some concessions”, but failed to specify what they were. In an interview with Fox News following Friday’s summit, Trump was asked what advice he has for the Ukrainian leader, to which he responded by saying “make a deal”. “Russia’s a very big power and they’re not,” he added.

Getty Images Ahead of Friday’s summit, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hosted a virtual meeting with Zelensky, other European leaders and Trump

Trump had previously threatened “very severe consequences” if Putin did not agree to end the war, last month setting a deadline for Moscow to reach a ceasefire or face tough new sanctions, including secondary tariffs. Little was announced by way of an agreement by either president following Friday’s summit, but Trump insisted progress had been made. On Saturday, Putin described the summit as “very useful” and said he had been able “set out our position” to Trump. “We had the opportunity, which we did, to talk about the genesis, about the causes of this crisis. It is the elimination of these root causes that should be the basis for settlement,” the Russian president said. Meanwhile, the “coalition of the willing” – a group of countries that have pledged to strengthen support for Ukraine that includes the UK, France, and Germany – will hold a call on Sunday afternoon before Zelensky’s visit to the White House on Monday.

Getty Images Starmer hosted Zelensky at Downing Street ahead of the US-Russia summit in Alaska, with the pair agreeing there was “a powerful sense of unity and a strong resolve to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine”