Trump says Ukraine needs to make a deal after summit with Putin ends without ceasefire

By R Anil Kumar

August 16, 2025

• Trump, Putin cite progress but offer no details

• • First US-Russia summit since start of Ukraine war
  • Trump says Zelenskiy ‘gotta make a deal’
  • Zelenskiy says he’s willing to meet Trump and Putin
  • Putin sticks to Russia’s long-held stance on Ukraine

• Trump told media that he would hold off on imposing tariffs on China for buying Russian oil after making progress with Putin. He did not mention India, another major buyer of Russian crude, which has been slapped with a total 50% tariff on US imports that includes a 25% penalty for the imports from Russia

WASHINGTON/MOSCOW, August 16. US President Donald Trump said on Saturday, 16 August, that Ukraine should agree a deal to end the war with Russia because “Russia is a very big power, and they’re not”, after holding a summit with President Vladimir Putin that failed to yield a ceasefire.

In a major shift, Trump also said he had agreed with Putin that the best way to end the war was to go straight to a peace settlement – not via a ceasefire, as Ukraine and its European allies, until now with US support, have been demanding.

Trump’s comments came after he met Putin for nearly three hours in Alaska on Friday, 15 August, at the first US-Russia summit since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“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,” Trump posted on Truth social.

The war – the deadliest in Europe for 80 years – has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts.

Trump said he would hold talks at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday, 18 August, adding: “If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved.”

Zelenskiy said after a lengthy conversation with Trump following the Alaska summit that Ukraine was ready for constructive cooperation, and he supported the idea of a trilateral meeting.

“Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace,” he wrote on social media.

But Putin made no mention of meeting Zelenskiy when speaking to reporters earlier. Russian state news agency TASS quoted Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov as saying the possibility of a three-way summit including Zelenskiy had not been discussed.

SECURITY GUARANTEES

In a post-summit talk Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed potential land swaps and security guarantees for Ukraine.

“I think those are points that we negotiated, and those are points that we largely have agreed on,” Trump said.

“I think we’re pretty close to a deal,” he said, adding: “Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they’ll say no.”

When asked what he would advise Zelenskiy, Trump said: “Gotta make a deal.”

“Look, Russia is a very big power, and they’re not. They’re great soldiers,” he added.

Zelenskiy has repeatedly underlined the importance of security guarantees for Kyiv as part of any deal, to deter Russia from launching a new invasion at some point in the future.

“We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraine’s security,” he said after his call with Trump.

Before the summit, Trump had set the goal of agreeing on a ceasefire in the war and said he would not be happy without it.

Putin signalled no movement in Russia’s long-held positions on the war, but said he agreed with Trump that Ukraine’s security must be “ensured”.

“We are ready to work on this. I would like to hope that the understanding we have reached will allow us to get closer to that goal and open the way to peace in Ukraine,” Putin said at a brief media appearance after the summit where neither leader took questions.

He added: “We expect that Kyiv and the European capitals will perceive all of this in a constructive manner and will not create any obstacles. That they will not attempt to disrupt the emerging progress through provocation or behind-the-scenes intrigue.”

For Putin, the very fact of sitting down face-to-face with the US president represented a diplomatic victory. The Kremlin leader had been ostracized by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had been facing a threat of new sanctions from Trump.

‘1-0 FOR PUTIN’

Some commentators, especially in Europe, were scathing in their reaction.

“Putin got his red-carpet treatment with Trump, while Trump got nothing. As feared: no ceasefire, no peace,” Wolfgang Ischinger, an ex-German ambassador to the United States, posted on X.

“No real progress – a clear 1-0 for Putin – no new sanctions. For the Ukrainians: nothing. For Europe: deeply disappointing.”

After Trump returned to Washington, the White House said he spoke to NATO leaders following the lengthy conversation with Zelenskiy.

Espen Barth Eide, foreign minister of NATO member Norway, told reporters in Oslo: “We must continue to put pressure on Russia, and even increase it.”

Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova said the summit had not yielded significant progress toward ending the war but “confirmed that Putin is not seeking peace, but rather an opportunity to weaken Western unity and spread his propaganda.”

‘NEXT TIME IN MOSCOW’

Both Russia and Ukraine carried out overnight air attacks, a daily occurrence in the 3-1/2-year war.

Russia launched 85 attack drones and a ballistic missile targeting Ukraine’s territory, Ukraine’s Air Force said on Saturday, 16 August. It said its air defense units destroyed 61 of them.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said 139 clashes had taken place on the front line over the past day. Russia said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed 29 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Trump told media that he would hold off on imposing tariffs on China for buying Russian oil after making progress with Putin. He did not mention India, another major buyer of Russian crude, which has been slapped with a total 50% tariff on US imports that includes a 25% penalty for the imports from Russia.

“Because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that now,” Trump said of Chinese tariffs. “I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don’t have to think about that right now.”

Trump ended his remarks on Friday, 15 August, by telling Putin, “I’d like to thank you very much, and we’ll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon.”

“Next time in Moscow,” a smiling Putin responded in English. Trump said he might “get a little heat on that one” but that he could “possibly see it happening.”

“Zelensky will be coming to D.C., the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon 18 August, if all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin. Potentially, millions of people’s lives will be saved,” Trump added.

‘No Deal Until a Deal’: Trump, Putin End ‘Productive’ Talks With No Results

In summary, the Alaska summit between Trump and Putin was a carefully framed diplomatic effort marked by cordiality and cautious optimism but ultimately failed to deliver a peace deal or ceasefire, pointing to continued complexities in resolving the Ukraine conflict.

India appreciates progress at Russia-US summit in Alaska: MFA

Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that the path forward must be grounded in dialogue and diplomacy, underscoring the global desire for an early resolution to the conflict in Ukraine

India has expressed appreciation for the outcomes of the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal.

In a statement, Jaiswal highlighted that India welcomes the summit’s proceedings and commends the leadership demonstrated by both nations. He emphasized that the path forward must be grounded in dialogue and diplomacy, underscoring the global desire for an early resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.

The Russian-American talks garnered extensive coverage in Indian media. New Delhi hopes that the agreements reached during the summit will help ease tensions that have affected India-US relations – particularly those stemming from Washington’s imposition of high tariffs on Indian goods, linked to New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil.

On August 6, the United States imposed an additional 25% duty on Indian imports related to Russian oil, increasing the overall import tariffs to 50%. President Trump criticized India for its longstanding purchases of Russian military equipment and energy resources, describing India and China as the largest buyers of Russian energy. In response, India’s Foreign Ministry dismissed these accusations as unjustified. Following discussions with President Putin, Trump also acknowledged that Washington might refrain from imposing import duties on Russia’s trading partners.

The summit itself took place on August 15 at a military base in Alaska. During the meeting, President Putin stated that the primary focus was the resolution of the Ukraine conflict. He called for a new chapter in bilateral relations, advocating for renewed cooperation and inviting Trump to visit Moscow. President Trump acknowledged that progress had been made; however, he noted that the parties had not yet reached an agreement on all issues.

(With Inputs from Russian ITAR-TASS News Agency)