A stark disconnect has emerged between the White House’s optimistic vision for peace and the grim reality on the battlefields of Ukraine. While President Donald Trump declared Friday that an end to the war is “very close,” Ukrainian forces remain locked in intense, bloody battles along a 1,000-kilometre front line.
Trump’s confidence is pinned on a newly announced summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for next Friday in Alaska. The U.S. president hopes this direct engagement will broker a deal, potentially involving controversial “swapping of territories,” even as European allies fear Ukraine could be sidelined.
In the eastern Donetsk region, which is bearing the brunt of Russia’s assault, commanders on the ground express deep cynicism. “It is impossible to negotiate with them,” said one drone unit commander. This sentiment is echoed by think tanks like the Institute for the Study of War, which assesses that Putin is not interested in peace but in outlasting the West.
The diplomatic initiative unfolds against a backdrop of renewed economic pressure from allies. Canada, the UK, and the EU have just lowered the price cap on Russian oil to further squeeze Moscow’s war chest, an action that runs parallel to Trump’s own threats of sanctions if his deadline for peace is not met.