Trump’s rush for peace in Ukraine is failing

One of Donald Trump’s key campaign pledges in the lead-up to his second term was to bring the war in Ukraine to a swift end.

Nearly three months into his administration, and despite vigorous diplomatic efforts, that goal remains unmet. The persistent stalemate over a ceasefire and a broader peace deal only underscores how Moscow appears to be drifting further away from any agreement.

The ceasefire Ukraine agreed to in March was intended to last 30 days but was never accepted by Russia. Instead, Moscow has intensified its attacks and remains steadfast in its maximalist demands.

“This Friday marked exactly one month since Russia spurned the US proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire. They are not afraid,” Zelensky said in his evening address on Sunday.

“Every Russian ballistic missile, every cruise missile, every Russian Shahed, every guided bomb strikes not only our people and our communities, but also diplomacy – and the political efforts of everyone trying to end this war.”

On Monday, Trump once again turned on Zelensky, falsely accusing him of starting the war in Ukraine, saying: “You don’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles.”

The war started when Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, 2022.

‘Humiliation’ of diplomatic efforts

Zelensky’s remarks came just hours after two Russian ballistic missiles hit the northeastern city of Sumy, killing at least 35 people and injuring more than 115. Ukraine says the Iskander missiles were armed with cluster munitions to maximise casualties, in what became the deadliest attack against civilian infrastructure this year.

“I was told they made a mistake,” Trump said aboard Air Force One without elaborating. “But I think it’s a horrible thing.”

European foreign ministers denounced the carnage, and some categorised it as “humiliation” of diplomatic efforts to stop the violence.

“This is once again a humiliation to everyone who puts in diplomatic efforts to stop this war and achieve at least a ceasefire for negotiations to begin,” Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Kestutis Budrys, said.

The Polish Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, said the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, was “mocking” Trump and his administration’s diplomatic efforts.

“I hope that President Trump and the US administration see that the leader of Russia is mocking their goodwill and I hope the right decisions are taken,” he said as he arrived for a European Union foreign minsters meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.

‘Something would have to change’ 

With diplomatic efforts failing to yield tangible results, a shift in strategy would be logical, and Trump himself has said Russia “needs to get moving”.

Even the Kremlin is downplaying the results of the talks, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying after the latest meeting between Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and the Russian president in St Petersburg on Friday that the talks have a lot of “nuances”.

“Resurrecting relations basically from scratch is a very complicated thing to do. It requires very intense diplomatic and other efforts”, Peskov said.

Peskov insisted “everything is moving ahead very well” but “the whole path consists of small steps to recreate an atmosphere of at least minimal mutual trust”.

Overnight, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, said peace talks with the US were “not easy” but said the Americans were “trying to delve into the problem”.

Colin Cleary, adjunct professor of US foreign policy at George Washington University in Washington, DC, who has extensive diplomatic experience, put Trump’s failures in stark terms.

“It’s not working, right? So something would have to change,” he said.

Trump’s team has floated the idea of secondary sanctions on countries and companies that purchase Russian oil, and the president has voiced support for the measure.

“If Trump wants to actually change the dynamic, he has to do these secondary sanctions. It would be the most notable thing he could do, and really hit the oil sector and turn on India and other entities,” he said, because India is buying a lot of Russian oil.

The focus is now shifting to when Trump and his team might consider the moment right for decisive action. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has said it will be “a matter of weeks, not months” before the US knows whether Russia is serious about peace.

Zelensky says Trump should visit Ukraine before making a deal

As the Ukrainian President now finds himself at a critical juncture in his relationship with the United States, he has said that Trump should visit Ukraine to “understand what Putin did”.

“We want you to come,” Zelensky said in English during an interview with CBS News. “We respect your position. You understand. But, please, before any kind of decisions, any kind of forms of negotiations, come to see people, civilians, warriors, hospitals, churches, children destroyed or dead.”

“Come, look, and then let’s — let’s move with a plan how to finish the war. You will understand with whom you have a deal.”

When asked why the ceasefire didn’t materialise, Zelensky reiterated that the Russian President could not be trusted as a reliable negotiating partner.

“Putin can’t be trusted. I told that to President Trump many times. So when you ask why the ceasefire isn’t working – this is why. Putin never wanted an end to the war.”