In a dramatic post via Truth Social on August 16, 2025, former U.S. President Donald $TRUMP claimed historic momentum toward a full peace deal between Russia and Ukraineâboldly declaring: âgo directly to a Peace Agreement ⊠not a mere Ceasefire Agreementâ .
This followed his high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15, 2025, where discussions reportedly centered on Ukrainian land concessionsâprimarily Donetskâas part of a peace settlement . $TRUMP asserted that Putin offered to freeze frontlines if Ukraine cedes Donetsk, framing it as progress .
Trumpâs post garnered both attention and alarm:
He insisted the path to peace should bypass a ceasefire, which he viewed as temporary and unreliable .
He teased a potential trilateral summit with Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy if the Washington meeting goes well .
But the response was far from unanimous:
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy rejected territorial concessions, emphasizing that real peace cannot mean giving in to aggression .
A coalition of European leadersâBritainâs Starmer, Franceâs Macron, Germanyâs Merz, plus othersâare rallying behind Kyiv, warning that international borders must not be altered by force .
Meanwhile, Trumpâs Secretary of State Marco Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff defended the approach on Sunday talk shows, characterizing it as a ârelentless pursuit of peaceâ and emphasizing both sides must give groundâbut adding that Trump may be uniquely positioned to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table .
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Summary
Element Details
The Claim Trumpâs Truth Social post pitches a fast-track peace deal instead of a ceasefire.
Backdrop His Alaska summit with Putin involved talk of Ukrainian territorial concessions.
Controversy Zelenskyy and European allies oppose pressure on Ukraine to yield land.
Forward Path Zelenskyy will meet $TRUMP
and possibly European leadersâin Washington next.