Donald Trump assured the media that a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia was near, and before he even meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said the only path to peace he sees is one where Ukraine cedes some land to Russia.
The Daily Beast reports that Trump is now calling it a “swapping of territories.” Trump explained to the media that, considering the two countries have been at war for three and a half years, concessions on both sides will need to be made if there is any hope of a lasting peace deal. That’s despite Trump having had a very tough time negotiating with Putin to this point.
It’s worth remembering that Trump has been announcing peace deals before they are completely done. His optimistic outlook has not always been rewarded, though. The last time he announced there would be a ceasefire in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instead just offered him a letter recommending him for a Nobel Peace Prize. When he announced the Iran and Israel deal, he was left cursing on live interviews because the two nations simply refused to stick to what they agreed upon. So it remains to be seen whether Putin will ultimately keep his word if they do, in fact, come to an agreement.
Trump then shared that he has an upcoming meeting with the Russian leader, and the tentative date, according to BBC, is next week, on Friday, in Alaska. Other details will, however, come in slowly. As far as Ukraine’s standing on this new Trump suggestion, the Ukrainian president released a statement saying, “The answer to the Ukrainian territorial issue is already in the Constitution of Ukraine. No one will and cannot deviate from this. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.”
Trump has not been in alignment with the Ukrainian president either. It’s hard to forget that testy meeting at the White House where the Ukrainian president was soundly criticized by many for getting into a shouting match with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The Republican base even added that when he chose to show up to a televised meeting with Trump without being in a suit, they considered it a slight and disrespectful. So it’ll be an uphill task for Trump to manage to convince two people who are at loggerheads with each other to come to an agreement when they both might have personal issues with him.
Ultimately, these are the complexities of negotiation. Furthermore, Trump had also given the Kremlin an Aug. 8 deadline for Russia to agree on a ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump’s administration even added that this time the country will not only face sanctions, but there will be secondary sanctions for those who do business with Russia.
That deadline, like many before, came and passed. When Trump was asked by reporters whether the meeting on Friday with Putin would mark a deadline, he responded that he doesn’t believe in “last chances” and maintained hope that Putin wants to see “peace.”
Published: Aug 9, 2025 10:16 am