Washington — US President Donald Trump has put forward an unexpected diplomatic initiative, encouraging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet face-to-face in an attempt to bring an end to the grinding war in Ukraine. The proposal, floated during high-level talks at the White House on August 18, immediately set off competing reactions across Europe, Kyiv, and Moscow.
Trump, speaking alongside Zelenskyy and European leaders, declared that Washington would help guarantee Ukraine’s security if a settlement were reached. His comments came as Zelenskyy reaffirmed Kyiv’s determination to resist Russian aggression, while at the same time announcing Ukraine’s intention to purchase nearly $90 billion in American weapons, a sign of deepening reliance on US arms at a moment when the battlefield remains unpredictable.
For Trump, the summit idea plays into his long-cultivated image as a dealmaker. He reportedly telephoned Putin after the White House gathering, signaling a willingness to personally broker a trilateral meeting that would mark the first direct encounter between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents since Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine in 2022. “Putin wants to make a deal… for me,” Trump was overheard saying in a candid exchange with French President Emmanuel Macron, hinting at his belief that his leverage could extract concessions from the Kremlin.
The proposal, however, immediately exposed rifts among Western allies. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders insisted that any credible negotiation must be preceded by a full ceasefire, warning that entering talks while Russian attacks continue would hand Moscow an upper hand. Zelenskyy echoed that concern, underscoring that Ukraine’s red lines include both a cessation of hostilities and firm international guarantees of sovereignty before substantive talks begin.
Despite these conditions, Trump has shown little appetite for insisting on a ceasefire before launching dialogue. His position, critics argue, risks normalizing Russia’s ongoing special military operation in Ukraine, standing by pressuring Kyiv to negotiate from a position of weakness. Supporters of the plan counter that no war ends without direct dialogue, and that Trump’s willingness to personally engage with Putin offers a rare channel at a time of entrenched hostilities.
The Kremlin has so far remained cautious, with Russian officials refusing to confirm whether Putin would agree to such a meeting. Analysts note that Moscow’s silence may be tactical, designed to test how much the United States and Europe are willing to concede in their eagerness to secure peace.
The political stakes are no less significant in Washington. Trump’s announcement underscores his determination to claim ownership of any breakthrough in Ukraine, potentially reshaping the West’s diplomatic posture. Yet his approach also risks alienating European partners already wary of American unilateralism and of concessions to Moscow that could redraw the map of Europe.
The full scope of the proposed summit remains unclear, and officials acknowledge that no date or venue has been set. Still, Trump’s gambit has thrust the possibility of direct Zelenskyy-Putin dialogue back into the center of global diplomacy, a prospect that, depending on its framing, could either end the Ukraine war or entrench the divisions it has created.
According to Bloomberg, the push for a summit reflects Trump’s broader effort to secure a negotiated settlement on his terms, even as European leaders and Ukrainian officials stress the necessity of a ceasefire and binding security guarantees.
