Putin Balks as Trump’s Russia-Ukraine Peace Push Hits Setback

Washington, Aug 23, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump began the week projecting confidence that his diplomatic drive could bring Russia and Ukraine closer to peace. He announced plans to arrange direct talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, hailing the move as a “breakthrough.”

Just four days later, that optimism has faded. On Friday, Russia’s top diplomat made clear that Putin will not meet with Zelenskyy until Ukraine agrees to address Moscow’s longstanding demands to end the conflict.

The development marks a major setback for Trump, who has been touting his diplomatic momentum as proof he could end the war — a pledge he made to voters to resolve on his first day in office.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said he would decide on next steps within two weeks if no meeting is scheduled. He suggested that new sanctions or tariffs against Russia could be imposed, a threat he has raised before but not acted upon.

“We’re going to see whether or not they have a meeting,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “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 Claimed Breakthrough Fades

Trump announced Monday that he was arranging a Putin-Zelenskyy summit after hosting talks with Zelenskyy and European leaders, and following a phone call with Putin. His announcement temporarily calmed European concerns sparked by his recent Alaska summit with Putin, where he appeared to lean toward Russia’s demand that Ukraine cede occupied territory. European leaders even expressed cautious optimism about Trump’s push, especially after he floated the idea of eventual three-way negotiations involving himself.

But doubts have mounted this week about Moscow’s commitment. Russian officials have objected to key elements of the early proposals, while insisting that further groundwork must be laid before any summit.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Putin is prepared to meet with Zelenskyy, but only once an agreed agenda is in place. “There is no meeting planned,” Lavrov told NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker in a taped interview. “Putin is ready to meet with Zelenskyy when the agenda is ready for a summit, and this agenda is not ready at all.”