US President Donald Trump, who has long called for a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, changed his stance on the subject just hours after his meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The Republican, who had threatened Russia of “very severe” consequences if it did not stop the Ukraine war, has now said that an overall peace deal and “not a mere” ceasefire agreement would be the way forward to resolve the conflict.
When Trump entered his second term as President, he seemed to rely on his personal rapport with the Kremlin leader, believing it could help overcome the complexities of the war that began in February 2022.
However, things soon changed between the two over the past few months, with Trump rebuking Putin on multiple occasions, and even threatening a 100% tariff on Russia if Moscow did not come up with a peace deal on the Ukraine crisis.
Despite so, the highly-anticipated meeting between the counterparts in Alaska did not yield much in terms of a deal, and following the meeting, the US president altered his stance, saying an overall peace agreement – not the ceasefire he had previously pushed – was now the next step to end the 3 and half-year conflict.
How Trump’s view of Putin has evolved over time | A timeline
After months of unsuccessful attempts to secure a settlement, President Donald Trump shifted to intensifying economic pressure on Moscow by threatening tariffs to secure a peace deal.
In May, Trump called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, warning that Washington and its allies would impose further sanctions if the truce was ignored.
Ukraine signalled it was ready to adopt the US proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire, while Russia countered with an offer of only a three-day pause to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
In June, Trump criticised the Russian leader at the NATO summit, terming his refusal to halt the war “misguided”, and told the reporters: “I’m very surprised. Actually, I thought we would have had that settled easy.”
Trump has said he wants to the end the war in Ukraine but his administration has also threatened to abandon its attempts to broker a deal if Russia and Ukraine do not make headway.
On July 3, a phone call between Trump and Putin lasted only about an hour, far shorter than their earlier exchanges. According to a senior administration official, the conversation lacked the usual warmth, leaving Trump unsettled and with the sense he was being strung along. Trump later admitted that Putin would often say one thing during their discussions but act differently afterwards. “I go home, I tell the first lady, ‘And I spoke with Vladimir today. We had a wonderful conversation.’ She said, ‘Oh, really? Another city was just hit.’”
Last month, in frustration, Trump declared he was giving Putin 50 days to secure a deal to end the war with Ukraine. He warned that failure to comply would push the US to impose sanctions on some of Russia’s biggest energy customers, targeting a key source of Moscow’s war financing.
On August 13, Trump escalated his stance, warning Russia of “very severe” consequences if it did not end the war in Ukraine. Asked at the Kennedy Centre whether Russia would face repercussions if Putin refused to halt the conflict after their Alaska meeting, Trump answered: “yes, they will”, clarifying that the measures could include tariffs or sanctions. He added: “I don’t have to say. There will be severe consequences.”
As part of this tougher approach, Trump began threatening sanctions against countries purchasing Russian oil, singling out India, a major buyer, by threatening 50% tariffs on Indian goods exported to the US.
Days before his meeting with Putin in Alaska, French President Emmanuel Macron had also said that Trump was “very clear” that the US wants to achieve a ceasefire at the summit, adding that the Republican was clear that “territorial issues relating to Ukraine … will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president.”
Alaska meet, then change in stance
After a nearly three-hour long talk in Alaska, both Trump and Putin addressed the media, and the US President described the conversation as “productive”, but added that there was no deal agreed upon.
Trump later said he and Putin agreed that negotiations should move directly towards a peace deal without first securing a ceasefire, a position at odds with Ukraine and its European allies. Before the summit, he had insisted he would not be satisfied unless a truce was reached.
Since returning to the White House from Alaska, Trump has spoken half a dozen times with Putin by phone and also held conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders, briefing them on the Alaska talks.
Zelensky has confirmed he will travel to the US on Monday.
Trump maintains that he and Putin made “significant progress” toward ending the war, though he has given no details.
On Saturday, Trump declared on social media: “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”
According to aides quoted by the Wall Street Journal, his revised approach mirrors Moscow’s longstanding view that temporary truces are unacceptable and that only a comprehensive settlement addressing Russian interests will suffice.
In a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, Trump suggested he and Putin had discussed “land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine” and had “largely agreed”. He added: “I think we’re pretty close to a deal. Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they’ll say ‘no’.”
Pressed on what advice he would give Zelensky, Trump said: “Gotta make a deal. Look, Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.”
Reuters reported that Trump’s remarks largely echoed Moscow’s public positions, which remain unchanged on issues such as vetoing Ukraine’s NATO membership. Putin himself signalled no compromise, and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed no three-way summit had been discussed.
Trump also told Fox News he would delay imposing tariffs on China for buying Russian oil, though he might “think about it” in a few weeks.
Closing the summit, Trump told Putin: “We’ll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon.”, to which Putin replied in English with a smile: “Next time in Moscow.”
Trump’s earlier meetings with Putin
According to US officials and others familiar with their communications, Trump and Putin have maintained frequent contact, with several phone calls and messages exchanged through intermediaries.
A senior administration official said their conversations are usually cordial. Trump often speaks of his ambition to rebuild US-Russia ties through deeper economic cooperation, while Putin lays out his grievances and demands, particularly international recognition of Moscow’s hold over Crimea and the Donbas.
Officials note the calls can sometimes last hours, partly due to Putin’s long monologues and the need for translations. Despite his usual impatience, aides say Trump listens carefully during these exchanges.
The two leaders famously met six times during Trump’s first term, including on the sidelines of G20 and APEC summits. Their most high-profile encounter came in Helsinki in July 2018, when Trump appeared to side with Putin’s denial of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, contradicting his own intelligence agencies.
“I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today,” Trump said at the time. “He just said it’s not Russia. I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be.”
(With inputs from Reuters, Associated Press)
