Trump’s Putin problem is getting worse as peace talks flounder—again – We Got This Covered

Efforts to reduce tensions between Russia and Ukraine are back in focus as officials from both countries get ready for a third round of ceasefire talks in Istanbul this week. These discussions are happening as President Trump grows increasingly frustrated, recently issuing strong warnings to Moscow. His statements suggest the U.S. might change its strategy if a peace deal isn’t reached by early September.

The current talks will be a key test of whether Russia takes these American threats seriously and how it might react. According to NPR, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pushing hard for these new negotiations, publicly asking Russia to speed up the process, but Putin is not for it. While past meetings have led to some prisoner swaps, they have done little to actually stop the fighting. This reflects Trump’s earlier statements that Putin “talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening.”

Speaking to his country, Zelenskyy stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire, saying every possible effort must be made to reach one. He called on Russia to stop delaying major decisions and repeated Kyiv’s main humanitarian concerns, including bringing back prisoners and the thousands of Ukrainian children said to have been taken by Russian forces. Beyond these immediate issues, Zelenskyy also said he wants direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, believing that only high-level discussions can lead to a lasting peace.

The war in Urkraine doesn’t seem to be stopping, despite many efforts

Moscow has shown little interest in a meeting between the two leaders. A Kremlin spokesperson recently rejected the idea of top-level talks, saying much more work would need to happen before that could even be considered. The Kremlin also downplayed hopes for a quick ceasefire, pointing out that Russia and Ukraine still have very different views on how to end the war.

The spokesperson said there was no reason to expect sudden breakthroughs, calling such an outcome unlikely under current conditions. Russia, they said, remains focused on securing its own interests, protecting its gains, and achieving the goals it set at the start of the conflict. These key Russian demands include stopping Ukraine from joining NATO, reducing Ukraine’s military strength, and officially recognizing Ukrainian territories that Russia claims but does not fully control.

President Trump’s growing frustration with Russia, and especially with its leader, has become more obvious. His anger comes from continued Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities, even as the U.S. tries to help negotiate a ceasefire. Speaking to reporters recently, Trump said the Russian leader had surprised many people, noting that he speaks politely but then carries out large-scale bombings.

In what seems like a major shift in U.S. policy, Trump last week supported sending American weapons to Ukraine. However, he set a key condition: European NATO allies would have to buy these weapons from the U.S. first before sending them to Kyiv. He also warned of new, harsh economic penalties against Russia if Moscow doesn’t agree to some kind of peace deal within about fifty days, effectively setting an early September deadline.