Three years ago, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Thus, the war officially began: In response to Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities, Ukraine ordered drone attacks on Russian ships and military vehicles. Since 2022, Ukraine has received billions in aid from various nations, including over 118 billion dollars from the United States. At the beginning of 2025, there were over 40,000 civilian casualties, and Russia occupied approximately 20 percent of Ukraine.
Despite the Trump administration’s negotiation attempts, earlier involvement has only escalated events in Ukraine and strained relations among NATO members. Trump has threatened to abandon efforts at negotiations between the two warring nations. Following a two-hour phone call between United States President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, Trump reported that Russia and Ukraine planned to negotiate a ceasefire, with the ultimate goal of reaching a permanent peace agreement. After the conversation, Trump told Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and other European leaders that they would need to conclude the war with Russia themselves, simultaneously retreating on his previous threats to participate in a European pressure campaign. Previously, Trump had promised to end the conflict within a single day. Yet, Trump’s resolution ultimately disadvantaged Ukraine: It left an unstable NATO and reduced American aid.
Trump’s post on the social media app Truth Social exhibited his continuous optimism for peace through immediate negotiations, threatening tariffs and sanctions if Russia refused to declare a 30-day ceasefire. However, Putin only considers the possibility of a peace agreement, requiring any negotiation to account for the original causes of the war, including Ukraine’s desire for a closer relationship with Europe. While efforts have been made, such as Russia’s deployment of a junior team to Istanbul, no concessions were made beyond negotiations. Although peace was a previously considered potential future for the nation, Trump’s phone call and Russia’s order of a drone strike on Ukrainian cities leave little hope for a peace deal.
