Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the Ukraine war would not have broken out if Donald Trump had been in power in 2022. Speaking after the Alaska summit, Putin said he had warned then US President Joe Biden not to let the crisis escalate. He called the full-scale invasion of Ukraine “a big mistake.”
At the same time, Putin praised his “trusting contact” with Trump and suggested the former president could have prevented the war. This assertion has sparked a fresh discussion over whether Trump’s comeback could alter the direction of the war.
Trump Pushes for a Peace Deal, Not a Ceasefire
At the summit, Trump took a different approach from previous US administrations. He announced that the best way to end the war was through a direct peace agreement.
ALSO READ: Trump Pushes ‘Peace Agreement’ Over Ceasefire After Putin, Zelensky Talks
Trump dismissed the idea of a ceasefire, arguing that such arrangements often collapse. He wrote on Truth Social that “the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine” could only end with a permanent settlement, not temporary pauses.
Summit Yields No Ceasefire, but a Shift in Strategy
The Alaska meeting was the first US-Russia summit since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Trump and Putin spoke for nearly three hours but reached no ceasefire. Rather, both parties believed that a peace agreement was the best course of action.
Trump declared that he would meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Monday. If progress follows, Trump promised to schedule a meeting with Putin afterwards.
Zelenskyy Shows Willingness to Cooperate
Zelenskyy spoke to Trump after the Alaska summit and expressed readiness for cooperation. He said Ukraine would work “with maximum effort” to achieve peace.
ALSO READ: ‘If All Works Out…’: Trump to Host Zelensky After Alaska Summit Ends Without Peace Deal
He also supported the idea of a trilateral meeting that could include Putin. However, Putin did not mention Zelenskyy in his press briefing. Later, his aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that no such three-way summit had been discussed.
Deadly War and a Narrow Opening
The Russia-Ukraine war remains the deadliest in Europe in 80 years. Analysts say it has killed or wounded more than a million people, including thousands of Ukrainian civilians.
Against this backdrop, Trump and Putin’s call for a peace deal instead of a ceasefire marks a significant shift. It raises questions about whether diplomacy can catch up with the human cost of the conflict.
ALSO READ: Trump Talks to Zelensky, NATO After Alaska Summit, No Peace Deal for Ukraine
