Trump modifications Ukraine stance after Putin assembly, peace deal elusive

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I’m with President Trump : "There’s no deal till there’s a deal."

And now that he has modified his stance and is brazenly siding with Vladimir Putin, regardless of vehement objections from Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who visited the White Home yesterday, a deal appears reasonably elusive.

Putin’s curiosity in peace is underscored by his continued bombardment of Ukraine, the nation he illegally invaded, with the newest spherical killing 10 folks. Which is to say the Kremlin dictator has no conceivable curiosity in peace, besides on his maximalist phrases.

Look, I’m rooting for Trump . If he can by some means sq. the circle of this brutal and bloody battle, and convey issues to an finish, he'll deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. And Hillary stated she’d nominate him.

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However the unfavourable opinions of the Alaska sitdown has rankled Trump and prompted him to lash out at Pretend Information on Fact Social:

"If we had the Summit elsewhere, the Democrat run and managed media would have stated what a horrible factor THAT was. These individuals are sick!"

Okay, he doesn’t just like the press. Besides we now know, due to his in-flight feedback to Fox’s Bret Baier , that he enjoys the sparring, likening it to a golf recreation. The reporters are all attempting to get him to make a mistake. If he makes no breaking information, he wins. If he does say one thing that’s breaking information, he didn’t put the ball within the gap they usually’ve obtained him.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks with Fox Information chief political anchor Bret Baier in a hospital in Kharkiv after visiting wounded troopers and awarding them medals for his or her service. (Particular Report with Bret Baier)

I watched Sunday morning as Zelenskyy and top European officials stated solely Russia can finish the battle and that Ukraine wouldn't be surrendering the Donbas area, house to greater than 200,000 folks.

As Gen. Wesley Clark advised me on "Media Buzz," when you get previous the Donbas area, it’s a "straight shot" to Kyiv, so the courageous Ukrainians, who've held off the far greater Russian battle machine, can be defenseless.

It’s mildly encouraging that media experiences say Putin has accepted the necessity for safety forces to guard Ukraine, which means the Europeans – and the U.S. – would ship troops for a peacekeeping unit.

When particular envoy Steve Witkoff, who was within the room through the Putin session, was requested about Trump’s change of place, I assumed he’d deny it, however he didn’t. That confirms the tales are true, and positively complicates issues.

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated over the weekend that Trump "stated himself {that a} ceasefire was his absolute most essential and highest precedence. So, it was a joint demand, which isn’t occurring now. We might have certainly hoped for a cease-fire first. The Russian aspect was clearly unwilling to try this."

So what precisely is Putin giving up? Nothing, so far as I can see. Day-after-day with out a cease-fire is one other day that the indicted battle prison will get to cement his battlefield features.

And, beneath these circumstances, Trump expects Ukraine’s president to hitch in a trilateral assembly with him and Putin?

Responding to Fox’s Peter Doocy, Trump stated: "I feel if all the pieces works out nicely as we speak, we'll have a trilat and I feel there will likely be an affordable likelihood of ending the battle once we try this."

U.S. President Donald Trump meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni amid negotiations to finish the Russian battle in Ukraine, on the White Home in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 18, 2025. (REUTERS/Alexander Drago)

Zelenskyy, who repeatedly praised Trump–he wasn’t going to make the identical mistake twice after getting kicked out of the White Home following his meltdown again in February–reminded reporters that "we dwell beneath, every day, assaults. You understand, that as we speak have been a whole lot of assaults and quite a bit of wounded people . And the kid was useless, small one, one yr and half.

"So we have to cease this battle, to cease Russia. And we have to assist American and European companions that may do our greatest, for this. So, and I feel we present that we're sturdy folks and we supported the thought of the united system of personnel, President Trump to cease this battle, to make a diplomatic approach of ending this battle. And we're prepared for trilateral as presidents."

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Now that shocked me. He’s prepared to take a seat down with Putin and Trump after insisting on a cease-fire first – which was additionally the president’s place till he flipped and deserted it after the sitdown with the indicted battle prison?

So what was the temper afterward?

"I am optimistic that collectively we will attain an settlement that may deter any future aggression in opposition to Ukraine," Trump stated. He added, "I've a sense you and President Putin are going to work one thing out."

President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finland's President Alexander Stubb, NATO Secretary Normal Mark Rutte and European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen pose for a household photograph amid negotiations to finish the Russian battle in Ukraine, on the White Home in Washington, Aug. 18, 2025. (Alexander Drago/Reuters)

Zelenskyy "praised the constructive particular assembly," including: "There may be lots of people in jail. So we want them again and ensures which can work for the years. We spoke about it and I confirmed president a whole lot of particulars on the battlefield, on the map."

However will Putin, who views Zelenskyy as an illegitimate chief, attend?

All of the chatter in regards to the crimson carpet and different atmospherics is meaningless. Sure, Zelenskyy wore a go well with, albeit a military-style one.

We must always all be rooting for Trump. Even when he falls brief, and the battle drags on, it may solely finish with a negotiated settlement.

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At one level, Trump broke away from the session and known as Putin, reasonably than ready until afterwards.

Trump posted that this was "an excellent early step," and early could be the operative phrase. The battle may definitely drag on. However it may’t finish on the battlefield. We wouldn’t have gotten this far with out Trump’s distinctive desire for leader-to-leader talks, though he’s now brazenly siding with Vladimir Putin. Generally that produces outcomes and generally it doesn’t, as with Kim Jong-un. But it surely’s given him – and us – a shot.

Howard Kurtz is the host of FOX Information Channel's MediaBuzz (Sundays 11 AM-12PM/ET). Based mostly in Washington, D.C., he joined the community in 2013 and repeatedly seems on Particular Report with Bret Baier and The Story with Martha MacCallum amongst different applications.