Trump and Putin Fail to Agree on a Ukraine Peace Deal, Bringing Relief to EU

After the much-awaited meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Russia-Ukraine War, they have failed to agree on a deal.

The goal set by the two leaders was to establish some common ground over the Russia-Ukraine War – which has entered its fourth year – allowing them to begin talks over a peace deal to put an end to the conflict. The meeting took place in the northern US state of Alaska, which was sold to the US by Russia back in 1867, specifically due to the fact that Putin would have been arrested had the meeting taken place in almost any European country.

However, despite Trump's efforts to put an end to the war, European countries have been phased out of ongoing negotiations. Trump has worked to exclude European nations from talks with Putin, including Ukraine themselves, raising global concerns that he could strike a deal with the Russian leader that could benefit the US or Russia while putting Ukraine in a worse position. Read more into the initial situation here.

Because of this, when Trump and Putin began talks yesterday, they were already at front and center of the global stage. Nevertheless, both leaders confirmed last night that a deal was not reached, and they did not agree on any sort of treaty or ceasefire.

Both Trump and Putin have also been extremely tight-lipping about the negotiations, with neither party disclosing anything about what they disagreed over, why it wasn't possible, or whether a deal could be in the works.

The failed talks, though, have allowed Europe to breathe a sigh of relief, as they were previously in serious distress over the issue. Trump is expected to call all NATO leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a meeting to discuss the negotiation with Putin, and the American president will also attend the next round of talks between Ukraine and Russia.

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Image credit to Reuters