US President warns of ‘rough situation’ for Russia if no agreement reached within weeks following failed Alaska summit
President Donald Trump has admitted Vladimir Putin may not want to make a peace deal to end the Ukraine war, despite claiming the Russian leader is “tired” of the conflict that has dragged on for over three years.
In a revealing interview with Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” programme on Tuesday, Trump struck a notably different tone from his previous optimistic projections about ending the war quickly, conceding that achieving peace might prove more challenging than anticipated.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem, to be honest with you. I think Putin is tired of it. I think they’re all tired of it, but you never know,” Trump said, acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding Moscow’s intentions.
The US President warned that the coming weeks would prove crucial in determining whether Putin genuinely wants peace. “We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks… It’s possible that he doesn’t want to make a deal,” Trump stated, adding that Putin would face a “rough situation” if he refuses to negotiate.
These comments mark a significant shift from Trump’s earlier confidence about his ability to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. During his presidential campaign, he famously claimed he could end the war within 24 hours of taking office, a promise he later admitted was overly optimistic.
The Tuesday interview comes just days after Trump’s high-stakes summit with Putin in Alaska on Friday failed to produce any concrete agreement on ending the conflict. Despite both leaders claiming they made “great progress” during their nearly three-hour meeting, they left without announcing a ceasefire or any substantive steps toward peace.
During the Alaska summit, Trump had expressed frustration about the gap between his diplomatic conversations with Putin and Russia’s continued military actions. “I’ve had a lot of good conversations with him then I go home and I see that a rocket hit a nursing home or a rocket hit an apartment building, and people are laying dead in the streets,” Trump revealed.
The failed summit has intensified pressure on Trump to deliver on his peace promises, particularly as Russian forces continue their assault on Ukrainian cities. Even as world leaders gathered in Washington on Monday for follow-up discussions, Russia launched deadly attacks on Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, killing civilians including an entire family with a toddler.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking after Monday’s White House meeting with Trump and other European leaders, expressed deep scepticism about Putin’s willingness to negotiate. When I look at the situation and the facts, I don’t see President Putin very willing to get peace now,” Macron told NBC News, though he added he might be “too pessimistic.
Trump’s acknowledgement that Putin might not want a deal represents a stark reality check for an administration that had placed significant political capital on achieving a rapid resolution to the conflict. The President had previously threatened “very severe consequences” if Russia didn’t agree to end the war, including potential sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil.
The evolving diplomatic situation has also highlighted tensions over Trump’s approach to the conflict. While he initially demanded a ceasefire as the immediate goal of the Alaska summit, he later shifted to calling for a comprehensive peace agreement, arguing that ceasefires “often times do not hold up.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who met with Trump and European leaders in Washington on Monday, has maintained that any peace deal must include robust security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression. “If you make any peace deal without security guarantees, Russia will never respect its words,” Macron echoed during his NBC interview.
The negotiations have been further complicated by disputes over Ukraine’s valuable mineral resources. Trump has pushed for a deal granting the United States access to Ukraine’s rare earth elements and other minerals, a proposal that has met resistance from Zelenskyy, who previously rejected demands for a $500 billion share of Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for military aid.
Putin’s demands for any peace settlement remain formidable, including Ukraine’s exclusion from NATO, recognition of annexed territories, and what he calls the elimination of the “root causes” of the conflict – terminology that Western leaders view as justification for his illegal invasion.
The Russian leader appeared to gain diplomatic ground from the Alaska summit, receiving a red-carpet welcome and warm reception from Trump after years of Western isolation. During their joint appearance, Putin even suggested their next meeting should be in Moscow, to which Trump responded he could “possibly” see that happening.
As the diplomatic marathon continues, Trump faces mounting pressure to demonstrate tangible progress. He has proposed arranging a direct meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, followed by trilateral negotiations including himself, though no dates have been set for such talks.
The human cost of the prolonged conflict continues to mount. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russian forces launched 140 drones and four missiles at Ukraine overnight on Sunday alone, with attacks continuing despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Trump’s admission that Putin might not want peace reflects a growing recognition within his administration of the challenges ahead. During his Fox News interview following the Alaska summit, Trump acknowledged he had been wrong to think the Russia-Ukraine conflict would be “the easiest” to solve, calling it instead “the most difficult.
European leaders remain committed to supporting Ukraine whilst pursuing diplomatic solutions. The unprecedented gathering at the White House on Monday, including leaders from France, Germany, the UK, Italy, and key EU and NATO officials, demonstrated Europe’s united front on the crisis.
Macron’s warning that “the way we will behave in Ukraine will be a test for our collective credibility in the rest of the world” underscores the global stakes of the conflict, extending far beyond the immediate humanitarian crisis.
As Trump’s self-imposed timeline advances, with crucial weeks ahead to determine Putin’s true intentions, the prospects for peace remain uncertain. The President’s acknowledgement that the Russian leader might not want a deal, despite being “tired” of the war, suggests a more realistic assessment of the diplomatic challenges facing efforts to end Europe’s largest conflict since World War II.
The international community watches anxiously as Trump’s dealmaking approach faces its toughest test yet, with the lives of thousands hanging in the balance and the future security architecture of Europe at stake.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
Image Credit (Shortened):
Vladimir Putin with U.S. President Donald Trump at a joint news conference (28 June 2019) – by Presidential Press and Information Office / Kremlin.ru, licensed under CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
