Trump Says “Going Straight to a Peace Agreement Is Best, Agrees With Putin Over Ceasefire”

"A Great and Very Successful Day"
"Zelensky to Visit the U.S. on the 18th... If All Goes Well, a Meeting with Putin Will Be Arranged"
European Leaders: "We Welcome U.S. Security Guarantees for Ukraine"

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that a consensus was reached during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that a peace agreement is necessary to end the war in Ukraine itself.

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News

On August 15 (local time), President Trump stated on the social media platform Truth Social, "We agreed that the best way to end this terrible war is not a simple ceasefire agreement, but to go straight to a peace agreement."

He added, "This is because ceasefire agreements are often not upheld."

Previously, President Trump and President Putin said, "We have made some progress," during a joint press conference immediately following their summit in Alaska, but did not disclose further details.

However, according to President Trump’s comments on social media, it appears that the two leaders also discussed specific measures for signing a peace agreement.

He described the summit, saying, "It was a great and very successful day in Alaska."

He continued, "The summit ended very well, and the phone calls with European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), also went smoothly."

President Trump revealed that President Zelensky is scheduled to visit the White House on August 18, and expressed his hopes by saying, "If everything proceeds well, we will also schedule a meeting with President Putin afterward."

Meanwhile, on August 16 (local time), the leaders of major European countries commented on the outcome of the U.S.-Russia summit, stating, "We welcome the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump to achieve a just and lasting peace."

The leaders of France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Finland, and Poland, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, said in a joint statement, "We welcome President Trump’s statement that the United States is prepared to guarantee (Ukraine’s) security," and emphasized, "We make it clear that strong security guarantees are needed to effectively defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity."

They added, "As President Trump said, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed," and stated, "The next step should be further talks, including with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky."

The European leaders asserted that there should be no restrictions on cooperation with the Ukrainian military or third countries, and that Russia cannot exercise a veto over Ukraine’s accession to the EU or NATO. They also said that as long as the killing continues in Ukraine, they will maintain pressure on Russia and strengthen sanctions.

The statement did not include the argument that there should be a ceasefire first and negotiations on the remaining issues later.

The positions of the European countries differed from the harsh criticism that President Trump failed to achieve results and merely paved the way for President Putin’s return to the international stage.

They focused on the agreement between the U.S. and Russian leaders that security guarantees for Ukraine are necessary. According to AFP, the U.S. side proposed NATO’s collective defense clause, and President Putin reportedly agreed. Collective defense is the principle that if any member country is attacked, the alliance responds collectively.