Donald Trump wants a "peace deal" before a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire — because why make things easy when you can sell the illusion of 'dealmaker-in-chief' bravado? If the world needed another demonstration of why Trump's approach is the political equivalent of shouting "You're fired!" at a wildfire and expecting it to go out, here it is: demanding Ukraine sign away Donald Trump's latest masterstroke in international diplomacy: demanding a "peace deal" before a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire can even be put on the table.
Only Trump could think the path to peace lies in forcing a battered nation to swap territory for promises while bombs are still falling. It's like haggling at gunpoint — except the gun is in Putin's hand, and Trump, who is on the search for a Nobel peace prize, wants Zelenskyy to say thank you for the privilege.
Let's walk through why this "art of the deal" is sheer fantasy.
'Hey Volodymyr, Just Sign Here So That I Can Get The Nobel'
First, only someone with Trump's trademark Friday-night-reality-TV approach could suggest that Ukraine, facing missiles in the sky and Russian troops on the ground, should sit at the table and ink a long-term deal, including territorial giveaways and political rearrangements, before the shooting has stopped.
Never mind that the "bargaining position" for Ukraine in the middle of a Russian offensive is about as strong as bringing a butter knife to a tank battle. Trump seems to think Kyiv can play hardball while its cities are under siege.
But reality — and history — begs to differ. Every credible conflict-ending negotiation in the modern era has started with at least a partial ceasefire.
Why? Because the party under assault needs security to negotiate and, shockingly, doesn't want to sign away pieces of itself while running for cover. Imagine hosting a real estate negotiation during a home invasion. Would you feel "free" to discuss your property value?
Trump's insistence also ignores the total improbability of preemptive concessions from Kyiv or its European backers on absolutely existential issues: sovereignty over Donetsk, Luhansk, and acknowledgement of Russia's annexation of Crimea. These are nonstarters for Ukraine, and even most of the world's armchair peacemakers realise pushing them from a position of Russian strength is a tragic parody of diplomacy. Yet Trump's policy is 'Just sign here, Volodymyr, don't mind those tanks on your lawn'.
In Trump We Trust? Well...
Trump's guarantee of a ceasefire? Well... there's none. Trump has said that he will back Europe in safeguarding Ukraine. But can the POTUS be trusted? Not really. On the flip side, let's not forget, Trump may arm-twist Putin, too, with more sanctions and threats to Russia's trading partners. After all, Putin is part of the BRICS, which Trump simply abhors or is, perhaps, wary of.
Trump cannot be trusted simply because he's a guy who thinks the world runs on his whims. Be it trade or wars or even his 'big, beautiful' bromance with Elon Musk, Trump has always remained the unpredictable and untrustworthy guy at the table. In his search for the golden Nobel, Trump simply steamrolls the truth on his Truth Social, as was seen in his claims of ending an India-Pakistan conflict.
Even his talks of providing security to Ukraine are just that: all talk, no guarantee. And even if a guarantee comes, it will surely be with riders.
To top it all, Trump has ruled out allowing Ukraine to join NATO. This means Zelenskyy would be at the mercy of Trump if Putin carries on his offensive in Ukraine. Expecting help from other European nations then would be far-fetched.
Trump's Fire Sale And Putin's 'Maybe'
Despite the jovial atmosphere [unlike last time] at the White House meeting, Putin's cloud unmistakably hovered over the table. Let's not overlook the punchline — Putin doesn't have to promise anything. On top of that, "sanctions relief" is on the cards for Russia. And that after Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on India for trading with Russia. So clearly, this isn't a deal; it's a fire sale.
Trump thinks he can browbeat Zelenskyy into forfeiting territory, promise future elections, and reward Moscow with sanctions relief in exchange for a "maybe" on stopping the war. It's a dream scenario for Putin, who gets everything he wants just for promising to maybe, someday, stop shelling Ukrainian cities.
Not only that, if Trump wants [read: as per his whims], he can even threaten other European nations
And about those elections Trump wants Ukraine to promise? They're supposed to happen after a deal, after a ceasefire, after everyone goes home and the dust actually settles. Yet Trump's 'peace before ceasefire' logic means preparing elections while districts — some still under Russian occupation — are being contested by force of arms. Only in a Trumpian universe could "free and fair elections" and "ongoing invasion" coexist as policy prescriptions.
Trump's Aggression In Search Of Nobel
Trump is actively pursuing a Russia-Ukraine peace deal because none of his claims of having stopped wars in six regions stands dubious. So, the Nobel, which Trump has said multiple times he deserves, is a no-go right now. Hence, he is aggressively trying to broker a "peace deal".
So, let's call it what it is: presidential browbeating, designed for TV bytes, not statesmanship. Forcing Ukraine to "make peace" while the bullets fly doesn't end the war or "secure peace". It surrenders the bargaining table to Putin as Trump's "strategy". Trump isn't ending the war; he's just handing out the prize. The war can [and probably will] go on.
For context, India has put forth a similar condition for Pakistan — no talks at the table while Islamabad imports terrorists to India.
For the people of Ukraine, this isn't a deal. It's an ultimatum. And as any real negotiator knows, you don't build peace by giving your opponent everything he wants and hoping he'll be satisfied. You build peace when there's no more shooting and everyone, finally, can show up at the table with their dignity and territory intact.
