Former President Donald Trump has announced that he will refrain from holding meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy until a potential peace agreement between the two countries has either been finalized or is nearing completion.
In an extensive post on Truth Social this Tuesday, Trump highlighted what he described as “tremendous progress” in the peace process over the past week. He claimed it represented the most significant advancement towards resolving the conflict since the war in Ukraine commenced.
Both Putin and Zelenskyy have previously engaged in separate discussions with Trump. (Photo Credits: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP and Christian Bruna/Getty)
Trump stated, “Within the past week, my team has achieved significant strides towards ending the war between Russia and Ukraine—a war that would have never started if I had been president! Last month alone saw 25,000 soldiers lose their lives. Our original 28-Point Peace Plan, initially drafted by the United States, has undergone refinement with input from both parties, leaving just a few points of disagreement.”
He further elaborated on the next steps of the peace negotiation process:
“To move towards finalizing this Peace Plan, I’ve instructed my Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, to meet with President Putin in Moscow. Simultaneously, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with Ukrainian officials. I will receive updates on the progress alongside Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles,” Trump explained.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a signing ceremony for a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the State Department on June 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
He concluded his post by explaining when he would be willing to meet with Zelenskyy and Putin:
“I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages,”
“Thank you for your attention to this very important matter, and let’s all hope that PEACE can be accomplished AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!” he added.
Trump coordinates Putin-Zelenskyy talks after White House meetings Monday, August 18, 2025. (Getty Images)
A revised peace framework, changed from the original 28 points, has reportedly gained preliminary acceptance from both Kyiv and Washington. Moscow is currently reviewing the latest revisions.
As reported by Fox News Digital Tuesday, Ukraine agreed to a peace deal that would see an end to the war with Russia, a U.S. official said,
Some minor details of the agreement are still to be sorted out, the official said.
However, overnight, Russia launched a large drone-and-missile strike on Kyiv, killing at least seven people and damaging power infrastructure.
Despite the continuing violence, U.S. diplomats describe the negotiations as the “closest they have been” to a potential agreement since the war began.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L) and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen attend a joint press conference in Brussels, on Aug. 17, 2025. (Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that France and its EU partners were close to finalizing a plan to support Ukraine and to secure a peace that is “serious” and rooted in international law.
After a virtual meeting of the Coalition of the Willing, Macron also said that “all the countries around the table want peace, but they want a peace that is just and lasting.”
He addressed territorial and security issues while hoping to prevent future aggression and warned that renewed Russian strikes on civilian and energy infrastructure show that “on the ground, the reality is the exact opposite of any genuine desire for peace.”
Macron outlined the coalition’s priorities, including increased sanctions on Russia to pile on pressure so that “it agrees to negotiate.”
France’s President Emmanuel Macron said his nation would recognize a Palestinian state on Monday. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
“This includes our sanctions, the U.S. sanctions coming into force, and our actions against the “shadow fleet” involved in illicit oil shipments worldwide,” Macron said.
He also highlighted two key initiatives: finalizing an EU solution for frozen Russian assets and establishing long-term security guarantees to ensure any ceasefire is enforceable and durable.
“We all support the pursuit of a peace plan, so this work must continue, and we are coordinating closely with the United States to move forward on a framework that could be acceptable,” he added.
Concluding, Macron stated, “The next few days will allow us to finalize in very concrete terms and to complete these security guarantees. This is essential for Ukraine, essential for negotiating a credible peace, and also essential to maintain pressure on Russia.”
