The world has been waiting for a big change in the war between Russia and Ukraine — and this weekend, everyone was focused on Alaska where Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in person.
Many people thought they would come up with a peace agreement. But what happened? Nothing at all.
Trump made his position clear.
Now, Trump is looking at Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy — and their upcoming meeting in Washington is already expected to be explosive.
To give some background: the last time Zelenskyy, Trump, and Vice President JD Vance met in the U.S., it was a total mess. They exchanged harsh words, and the two leaders left on really bad terms.
But today (August 18), Trump and Zelenskyy are in the same city again — this time with peace, NATO, and Ukraine’s future at stake.
And Trump didn’t wait for the meeting to show his position. He posted on Truth Social, saying:
“President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can keep fighting. Remember how it all began. No getting back Obama given Crimea (12 years ago, without a shot being fired!), and NO GOING INTO NATO BY UKRAINE. Some things never change!!!”
Zelenskyy’s response
That statement caused a big reaction online — and it didn’t take long for Zelenskyy to reply with his own carefully crafted message.
“I have just arrived in Washington, and tomorrow I will meet with President Trump,” he tweeted.
“Tomorrow we will also talk with European leaders. I am thankful to @POTUS for the invitation. We all want to end this war quickly and reliably. And peace must last. Not like it was years ago when Ukraine had to give up Crimea and part of our East — part of Donbas — and Putin just used it as a launchpad for a new attack.
“Or when Ukraine was given so-called ‘security guarantees’ in 1994, but they didn’t work. Of course, Crimea should not have been given up then, just like Ukrainians did not give up Kyiv, Odesa, or Kharkiv after 2022.
Ukraine’s disarmament deal
After the Soviet Union fell apart, Ukraine got about a third of its nuclear weapons — which was the world’s third largest at that time. But in 1994, under the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine gave up its weapons in return for security promises from the U.S., UK, France, China, and Russia. Those promises were meant to protect Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.
Three decades later, with Russia’s full-scale invasion showing that those promises were worthless, many Ukrainians now think that disarming was a mistake. Former officials admit they were “naive” to believe that Russia wouldn’t attack and that the West would help if it did.
This history is why Zelenskyy insists that vague “promises” are no longer enough—Ukraine now wants binding guarantees, like NATO membership, as the only real protection against future Russian attacks.
“Russia must end this war”
Zelenskyy mentioned that Ukrainian troops are making headway on the battlefield.
He stated, “The soldiers of our country have achieved ‘successes’ in the Donetsk and Sumy areas. I believe we will protect Ukraine, ensure security, and our people will always appreciate President Trump, everyone in America, and all our partners and allies for their support and invaluable help.
“Russia needs to stop this war that it started. I hope that our combined strength with America and our European friends will push Russia towards a true peace. Thank you!”
With Trump promoting ‘instant peace’ and Zelenskyy emphasizing that peace should be lasting, today’s meeting in Washington might shape what happens next in this very dangerous conflict.
