Not ceasefire, Trump says best way to end Ukraine war is a ‘peace agreement’ with Russia

US President Donald Trump, who touched down in Maryland following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, said that a “peace agreement” is a better path to ending the Ukraine conflict, than the “ceasefire agreement” approach previously advocated by Ukraine and its allies.

After meetings with Putin and follow-up discussions with Ukrainian and European leaders, Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday: “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”

Trump also confirmed that he will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Monday afternoon, hinting at a potential subsequent meeting with Putin. “President Zelensky will be coming to DC, the Oval Office, on Monday afternoon. If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin,” he added.

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He described the Alaska summit as a “great and very successful day” and confirmed late-night calls with Zelenskyy and several European leaders, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Trump’s summit in Alaska with Putin concluded on Friday after only a few hours, with limited information released about their discussions and no agreement reached to end the war in Ukraine, despite cordial exchanges between the two leaders.

“There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump acknowledged, while Putin characterised their discussions as merely a “reference point” for resolving the conflict and, importantly, a possible starting point for improved diplomatic and economic relations between Washington and Moscow.

Trump lavished praise on the Russian leader, repeatedly expressing gratitude for his time and later telling Sean Hannity on Fox that he would rate the Anchorage summit a “10,” adding, “it’s good when two big powers get along.”