Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former U.S. President Donald Trump have reportedly agreed on a plan to freeze the current frontline of the war in Ukraine and begin a long-term dialogue to seek a peace agreement. During a brief visit to Oslo, Norway, Zelenskyy said he saw Trump’s proposal as a ‘good compromise,’ though he acknowledged the likelihood that Russian President Vladimir Putin might not support it. Trump, during a press conference earlier this week, described the plan as stopping at the ‘battle line,’ with the potential for ‘something later on down the line’ as a long-term solution.
However, Moscow has firmly rejected the idea, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasizing that Russia seeks only long-term, sustainable peace, suggesting that stopping the conflict without addressing the root causes—such as Russia’s desire for full control over the Donbas region—would not be sufficient. Lavrov criticized the U.S. stance, arguing that halting the conflict without dealing with these underlying issues would not lead to ‘real peace.’
This proposal, supported by Zelenskyy, comes after Trump met with Zelenskyy at the White House last week, where Trump denied Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk missiles. The meeting occurred amid an attempted diplomatic opening between the U.S. and Russia, but that effort quickly fell apart. Additionally, Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to prepare the groundwork for a potential Trump-Putin meeting in Budapest, Hungary, but the White House ultimately stated that there was ‘no need to meet’ since the two sides remained ‘far apart.’
Trump has expressed reluctance to meet with Putin, citing the failed Alaska summit in August, where both leaders walked out after Putin refused to make any concessions. He said, ‘I don’t want to have a wasted meeting. I don’t want to waste time until I see what happens.’ At the same time, NATO chief Mark Rutte is visiting Washington for a meeting with U.S. officials, where he is expected to propose Europe’s latest plan for a ceasefire. A group of 11 European leaders have also signed a statement supporting the idea of freezing the current front lines as a starting point for negotiations.