August 17, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday dropped his push for a ceasefire in Ukraine in favor of pursuing a full peace accord, a major shift announced hours after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin yielded no clear breakthrough.

Before the high-stakes meeting in Alaska, securing an immediate cessation of hostilities had been a core demand of Trump and European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who will now visit Washington on Monday.

Ukraine and its European allies have long criticized Putin's demand for a full peace deal, saying Putin aims to buy time and press Russia's battlefield advances.

Read more: