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"Trump's Diplomacy Hits Snag in Ukraine-Russia Talks"

24.08.2025 4,50 B 5 Mins Read

U.S. President Donald Trump initiated the week with great optimism, declaring a diplomatic breakthrough in his efforts to bring Moscow and Kyiv closer to peace. During his announcement, he revealed that he had started making arrangements for direct talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, within just four days, Trump's hope began to wane as Russia's top diplomat made it clear that Putin would not meet Zelenskyy unless Ukraine agreed to some of Moscow's long-standing demands to end the conflict.

This turn of events marked a significant setback for Trump, who had been promoting his diplomatic engagements as creating undeniable momentum towards a lasting peace deal. On Friday, Trump noted that he would make a decision on his next steps within two weeks if direct talks did not materialize. He mentioned the potential for imposing new sanctions or tariffs on Russia, reiterating a threat he had previously mentioned but had not acted upon.

In the Oval Office, Trump addressed reporters, stating, "We’re going to see whether or not they have a meeting. It’ll be interesting to see. If they don’t, why didn’t they have a meeting, because I told them to have a meeting. But I’ll know what I am going to do in two weeks."

Trump's Diplomacy Faces Major Obstacle

Earlier in the week, Trump had announced his intention to arrange talks between Putin and Zelenskyy soon after concluding discussions with Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House. His promises to support European security guarantees for postwar Ukraine were received positively by European leaders, who appeared to feel relieved after Trump softened his previous comments that seemed to favor Putin's demands for Ukrainian territorial concessions.

However, uncertainty loomed over Trump's negotiation efforts as Russian officials articulated their objections regarding the foundations of the initial proposals on the table. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that while Putin was open to a meeting with Zelenskyy to discuss peace, such a meeting would only occur after senior officials resolved critical issues, indicating a potentially lengthy negotiation process given the significant differences between both sides.

"There is no meeting planned," Lavrov stated during a taped interview for NBC's Sunday show “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker.” He elaborated that the agenda for a summit was not yet prepared.

Challenges to Security Guarantees

Ukraine has been seeking Western security guarantees to deter any postwar aggression from Russia, prompting U.S. and European officials to devise detailed proposals. Nonetheless, Lavrov contended that any security arrangements for Ukraine absent Moscow's involvement would be futile. On Friday, Putin's visit to Sarov, a significant site for Russia's nuclear weapons program, served as a reminder of the country's military capabilities.

Commentators have expressed skepticism regarding Putin's willingness to compromise. Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, remarked that Putin had not shifted his stance significantly. The week also witnessed Russia conducting one of its most substantial aerial assaults this year, targeting western Ukraine with an extensive barrage of drones and missiles.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy accused Russia of evading the summit meeting, asserting, "The Russians are trying to do anything to avoid the (summit) meeting. The issue is not the meeting itself, the issue is that they do not want to end the war." This sentiment was echoed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who noted Trump’s desire to rebalance the situation with Putin and engage the U.S. in security guarantees for Ukraine.

Concerns of a “Trap” Set by Putin

On Friday, the European Union’s foreign policy chief raised alarms regarding proposals for Ukraine to concede territory to Russia as part of a peace deal. Kaja Kallas warned that this scenario represents a “trap” laid by Putin. She emphasized that discussions surrounding potential Ukrainian concessions overlooked the fact that Russia had not made any concessions and remained the aggressor in the conflict.

Kallas stated in a BBC interview, “The discussion all about what Ukraine should give up is exactly the trap that Russia wants us to walk into. Russia is just dragging feet. It’s clear that Russia does not want peace." She pointed out that despite Trump’s calls to end the violence, Putin's actions suggested otherwise, as the fighting intensified.

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