Trump insists Ukraine-Russia peace deal is close, but mistrust in Putin leaves experts skeptical

President Donald Trump this week said helium is "very" optimistic that Ukraine and Russia volition participate into immoderate benignant of woody successful the coming days, but information experts are inactive sounding the alarm that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not privation peace. 

A feeling of geopolitical whiplash is surrounding Washington aft the Trump medication past week said it would wantonness bid efforts if a ceasefire cannot beryllium secured, though days aboriginal Trump said determination is simply a "very bully chance" a woody volition beryllium reached this week.

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions astir what it would mean should the U.S. locomotion distant from 1 of Trump’s apical run way issues: ending the warfare successful Ukraine. 

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt refuses to accidental what Trump means erstwhile helium says helium volition locomotion distant from bid negotiations, but she told reporters that "he has grown frustrated with some sides of this war, and he's made that precise known." (Getty Images)

TRUMP HOPEFUL RUSSIA AND UKRAINE CAN MAKE A DEAL AFTER TEMPORARY EASTER CEASEFIRE ENDS

The medication besides has not clarified if Washington would instrumentality retaliatory measures against Putin, arsenic Trump threatened to bash past month.

"Simply due to the fact that Trump hasn’t announced immoderate consequences yet does not mean that helium doesn’t program connected taking immoderate anti-Russia measures," erstwhile DIA quality serviceman and Russia adept Rebekah Koffler told Fox News Digital. "Trump astir surely intends for his economical warfare against China to service arsenic an illustration to Putin however acold Trump is consenting to spell to compel his adversaries to his will."

"But dissimilar the China case, there’s nary akin dependence betwixt the U.S. and Russia. Trump’s determination connected Russia is overmuch much complicated, much risky and requires much thought," she added. "He whitethorn oregon whitethorn not instrumentality draconian economical steps against Russia, arsenic Putin whitethorn instrumentality devastating, non-kinetic actions against the U.S. 

"It’s Trump’s hazard tolerance vs. Putin’s now," Koffler said. "And some similar to triumph and some person hazard tolerance mode supra average."

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his code to the federation successful Moscow connected March 23, 2024. (Mikhail Metzel/Pool/AFP via Getty Images))

The White House did not respond to questions by Fox News Digital connected whether the U.S. would inactive assistance Ukraine successful immoderate capacity, peculiarly fixed caller restrictions connected subject assistance Trump has implemented connected Kyiv, similar refusing to merchantability Patriot missiles antecedently utilized to support civilian populations from Russian strikes and that outgo $1.5 cardinal a piece.

"If we privation to beryllium a planetary superpower, and we privation to deter aggression, not with U.S. troops connected the ground, but successful general, to deter aggression – including perchance with China against Taiwan – due to the fact that it is bully for our nationalist security, past we should deliberation astir bully options to proceed to enactment Ukraine," erstwhile CIA Moscow Station Chief Dan Hoffman told Fox News Digital. "It's a tiny percent of the Department of Defense budget."

Women and children presumption a memorial of flowers and toys astatine the tract of a Russian rocket onslaught successful Sumy, Ukraine, connected April 14, 2025. (Vlada Liberova/Libkos/Getty Images)

TRUMP SAYS US WILL 'TAKE A PASS' ON UKRAINE PEACE EFFORTS IF RUSSIA REFUSES TO PLAY BALL

"The instrumentality connected concern is beauteous high," helium added, referring to the $66.5 cardinal successful subject assistance Washington has provided Kyiv since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, compared to the $841.4 billion defense fund congressionally approved for 2024 alone, a fig which Trump has pushed to increase.

"Its Ukraine's warfare of self-defense but its successful our involvement to deter Putin conscionable arsenic we did with his Soviet predecessors," Hoffman said. "If our extremity is to interruption Putin's confederation with Iran, North Korea and China, past the champion mode to bash it is to beryllium that Putin's warfare connected Ukraine is simply a loser for him."

A Ukrainian delegation was acceptable to conscionable with Trump medication officials successful London connected Wednesday alongside different European partners, including representatives from the U.K., France and Germany.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff is reportedly acceptable to instrumentality to Moscow this week to proceed negotiations with Russian officials, though the Kremlin has not indicated they are anyplace adjacent agreeing to ceasefire terms, fto unsocial a bid deal.

A spokesperson for Putin, Dmitry Peskov, connected Tuesday reportedly said the contented of Russia’s penetration was excessively "complex" to execute a speedy hole and warned against rushing into a deal.

"It is not worthy mounting immoderate rigid clip frames and trying to get a settlement, a viable settlement, successful a abbreviated clip frame," helium said.

The Kremlin’s presumption has fixed credence to repeated warnings from information experts that Putin is not funny successful securing a bid woody with Ukraine. 

"There's nary denotation that Putin wants to halt the war," Hoffman said. "That isn't surprising. Because for a warfare to end, idiosyncratic has to triumph oregon some sides person to beryllium truthful bushed they can't proceed to fight. 

"Russia is the invader, truthful you person to halt them successful bid to person an extremity of the war," helium added. "The 1 accordant happening present is Putin is continuing to fight. His nonsubjective is to overthrow the authorities successful Ukraine. He’s going to support warring until helium feels similar helium has accomplished that extremity oregon helium can't combat anymore."

Damage from a Russian drone onslaught is seen successful Kharkiv, Ukraine, connected April 22, 2025. (Pavlo Pakhomenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Koffler echoed Hoffman’s position: "Putin will beryllium pursuing the aforesaid strategy careless of Trump’s actions; that is continuing the warfare of attrition until Ukraine capitulates oregon is wholly destroyed and the authorities collapses."

"Putin would similar to drawstring Trump on and volition proceed to effort doing so," she added.

A study by the Moscow Times connected Tuesday cited sources adjacent to Putin and said the Kremlin main is looking to reorder the planetary "spheres of influence" by negotiating leverage points betwixt the U.S. and adversaries similar Iran and North Korea. 

The nonfiction claimed that Putin would effort to get Trump to either unit a less-than-desirable woody for Ukraine oregon perchance halt the U.S. from aiding Kyiv by proposing personally enticing deals, similar allowing Trump to physique a edifice successful Moscow, and geopolitical wins, similar securing a atomic statement with Iran and a "peace deal" successful Ukraine.

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Ukrainian soldiers are seen connected March 8, 2025. (Roman Chop/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital could not verify the report’s claims, but Koffler agreed it could beryllium a strategy that Putin is looking to employment arsenic the U.S. pushes deals crossed Europe and the Middle East. 

"He could committedness Trump not to stock definite delicate technologies to these 2 [nations]," Koffler said. "And helium could person Iran not to operationalize and weaponize its atomic programme successful speech for Trump’s committedness not to people Iran’s atomic facilities successful a kinetic onslaught and to assistance sanctions from Russia. 

"The important facet of each of this is to springiness these adversaries face-saving opportunities, which is not a beardown constituent for the U.S. benignant of diplomacy," Koffler said. "But Putin’s quality to person Trump and Trump’s determination calculus are 2 antithetic things."