Red carpet, no deal: Trump backs peace accord over ceasefire in Ukraine

KYIV/WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump says after his Alaska summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin that the best way to end the war in Ukraine is to go directly to a peace accord, rather than going through a ceasefire first.

Trump wrote on his social media site after the summit and calls with Ukrainian and European leaders: “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”

Trump confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet him at the White House on Monday. He said that “if all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin.”

President Trump spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after his summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska and also was talking with NATO leaders early Saturday, the White House said.

Trump secured no agreement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine even after rolling out the red carpet for Putin.

Trump said that “there’s no deal until there’s a deal,” after Putin claimed the two leaders had hammered out an “understanding” on Ukraine and warned Europe not to “torpedo the nascent progress.”

During an interview with Fox News Channel before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted that the onus going forward might be on Zelenskyy “to get it done,” but said there would also be some involvement from European nations.

President Trump failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it.