Five Challenges Stand in the Way of Trump Securing a Ukraine Peace Agreement

U.S. President Donald Trump has

a scheduled summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, pointing to insufficient progress on reaching a peace agreement in Ukraine. The announcement, made on October 25, signals mounting dissatisfaction with the lack of headway in talks and the widening gap between the stances of Kyiv and Moscow. Speaking to the press in Doha, Trump stated he was unless there was a "definite route to an agreement."

This delay comes after a tense White House discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which Trump

to contemplate giving up territory—a proposal Kyiv refused. Additionally, the U.S. against Russia’s top oil firms, Rosneft and Lukoil, in an effort to increase pressure on Moscow to agree to a ceasefire. Yet, Russian authorities have not indicated any willingness to ease their demands, which include the annexation of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas area.

identifies five major barriers to achieving peace:

1. : In contrast to the situation in Gaza, where Trump was able to influence both Israeli and Arab leaders, his leverage over Putin and Zelenskyy is minimal. His alternating tactics of sanctions and withholding arms have not produced the desired results.

2. : Moscow continues to dismiss ceasefire initiatives and remains firm on territorial claims, indicating it still believes victory is possible.

3. : The U.S. provision of advanced weaponry to Ukraine, such as Tomahawk missiles, risks escalating the conflict and limits Trump’s capacity to pressure Russia.

4. : Russian leaders are accused of taking advantage of Trump’s preference for direct talks to stall American action in support of Kyiv.

5. : Both parties remain unwilling to compromise, with Zelenskyy’s administration refusing to make concessions and Russia persisting in its territorial pursuits.

The collapse of the planned Budapest summit, which was to take place in late October, highlights the severity of the deadlock. Although Trump called the cancellation his own choice, White House representatives emphasized that “both parties must be committed to a meaningful peace agreement.” At the same time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has openly rejected an immediate ceasefire, making clear Moscow’s reluctance to negotiate.

Zelenskyy has maintained that Russia’s willingness to negotiate diminishes whenever Western military aid to Ukraine slows, underscoring Kyiv’s dependence on ongoing support. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the latest sanctions as a “final opportunity” for Russia to pursue peace, warning that “the time to end the violence is now.”

Despite the ongoing impasse, diplomatic initiatives are continuing. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has offered to host a future Trump-Putin meeting, though no date has been arranged. Trump’s team remains intent on ensuring any talks produce concrete results, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating, “Our goal is to secure a real, positive outcome.”

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