Next Steps in the Ukraine Peace Negotiations: Prospects and Challenges

Despite the high-profile nature of recent discussions between President Trump, Russia's President Putin, and Ukraine's President Zelensky—joined by European leaders—the immediate outcome appears to be the scheduling of additional meetings rather than a finalized agreement.

President Trump emphasized that his primary objective is to facilitate direct negotiations between Presidents Putin and Zelensky to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He indicated he might participate in subsequent sessions to help address unresolved issues.

Following a meeting in the Oval Office, President Zelensky summarized the status of discussions on critical matters such as security guarantees, noting, "There remains significant work ahead."

The White House announced that President Putin has consented to meet with President Zelensky in the upcoming weeks to advance the peace process, with the U.S. National Security Council developing a negotiation framework.

However, prior statements from President Putin suggested that he would only engage in such a meeting after the specifics of a peace treaty were fully established, and there is no current evidence indicating a change in this stance.

Russian state media have downplayed the likelihood of an imminent meeting, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressing the need for thorough preparation. Additionally, a senior aide to President Putin clarified that the agreement with President Trump pertained mainly to elevating the level of representation at future talks compared to previous sessions.