Trump Pitches Peace Plan: Sanctions, Summit, and the Shadow of a Trade War

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to bring Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the negotiating table in a bid to end the war in Ukraine. Framing both sides as responsible for the conflict, he warned that failure to reach progress could trigger an “economic war” against Russia.

He said this during a meeting of the US government.

Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia

During a cabinet meeting on August 26, U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration’s main priority is to end the war in Ukraine through peaceful negotiations. He emphasized that this would require bringing together Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin for direct talks.

“It takes two to tango… I want this deal to be completed. I have a very serious plan if I need to implement it, but my main goal is to end this war,” Trump said.

Positions of the parties

According to Trump, Putin has shown a certain willingness to negotiate, while Zelenskyy at times takes a tougher stance.

“It looks something like this: who is ready to sit down at the table today? I need to bring them both together at the same time,” he explained.

At the same time, he dismissed Russian claims about Zelenskyy’s “illegitimacy” as “just a show for the public.”

Economic pressure as leverage

Trump stressed that he would not allow the conflict to escalate into a world war. However, he warned that if negotiations fail, his administration is ready to impose harsh economic measures on Moscow.

“It won’t be a world war, but it will be an economic war. It will be bad for Russia, and I don’t want that,” he said.

The U.S. President added that more than 7,000 soldiers on both sides had been killed in the war over the past week — a figure he cited as his main motivation to push for a swift resolution.

Attitudes toward Zelenskyy and Putin

Trump maintained a balancing tone, stressing that both leaders must show flexibility if peace talks are to succeed. He underlined that his approach would rely on direct dialogue rather than public rhetoric.

The former president noted that while he maintains a working relationship with Zelenskyy, it is “completely different,” as U.S. financial support no longer goes directly to Ukraine but is largely provided through NATO partners. At the same time, he emphasized that he had a “very good relationship with Putin” and was prepared to use it to pursue peace.

“Thousands of young people are dying on the battlefield every week. If I can save those lives with sanctions, tariffs, or personal agreements, I will do everything possible to stop it,” Trump said.

At the same meeting, U.S. Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff added that Washington aims to secure a resolution to Russia’s war against Ukraine by the end of 2025.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said that during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he discussed the possibility of nuclear disarmament. According to him, the Russian leader allegedly expressed his willingness to move in this direction, and China may also join the process.

Earlier, US leader Donald Trump said that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s reluctance to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would have “serious consequences” for Russia.

The day before, US President Donald Trump said he would not like to attend a leadership-level meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

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