Trump’s High-Stakes Gamble: Can He Broker Peace In Ukraine Or Hand Putin A Win?

President Donald Trump is intensifying pressure on Ukraine to accept terms that could end its war with Russia — but many fear his approach leans dangerously close to Moscow’s playbook, just days after his private summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On Monday, Trump will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alongside top European leaders at the White House in what could be the most consequential moment for European security since the Cold War. The meeting will test whether Trump can guide both Kyiv and Moscow toward a deal — or whether his alignment with Putin risks undermining Ukraine’s fight for survival.

Fallout from Alaska

Friday’s summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska raised alarm worldwide after the U.S. president greeted the Russian leader — accused of war crimes — with applause and offered symbolic concessions while receiving little in return.

Still, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff claimed Sunday that Russia had softened its stance on Ukraine’s post-war security and was even open to land swaps. “We agreed to robust security guarantees that I would describe as game-changing,” Witkoff told CNN.

European officials, however, worry that Putin is demanding Kyiv surrender vast swaths of the Donbas region — something Zelensky cannot accept politically, militarily, or economically. For Ukraine, holding Donbas is essential to preventing future Russian aggression.

Trump Turns Up the Pressure

Trump insists “great progress” is being made, but his rhetoric has fueled anxiety. On Fox News, he bluntly warned Ukraine: “Make a deal. Russia is a very big power, and they’re not.”

On Truth Social, he echoed Moscow’s opposition to NATO expansion, writing: “President Zelensky of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight.”

This has raised fears in Kyiv and across Europe that Trump will try to impose Putin’s terms and blame Ukraine if talks collapse.

Europe on Edge

The stakes could not be higher. European leaders — including France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Britain’s Keir Starmer, Finland’s Alexander Stubb, NATO chief Mark Rutte and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — will join Zelensky in Washington to counterbalance Trump’s unpredictable diplomacy.

“This is existential for European security,” said Fiona Hill, a former Trump White House Russia adviser. “Europe must have an equal say — this isn’t just about Ukraine, it’s about Europe’s future.”

Yet Trump appears more swayed by Putin’s sequencing of negotiations: pushing for a full peace deal instead of an immediate ceasefire. Critics warn this could buy Russia time to seize more land while dragging out talks.

The Nobel Prize Question

Washington insiders speculate that Trump may be racing to secure a Nobel Peace Prize — a trophy he has long coveted, especially after Barack Obama received one. While critics dismiss this as self-serving, some argue that if Trump could end the war fairly, motives wouldn’t matter.

But with Russia still dictating hardline demands — including curbs on Ukraine’s military and NATO withdrawals from Eastern Europe — a breakthrough looks far off. Even Secretary of State Marco Rubio admitted Sunday: “We’re still a long way off. We’re not at the edge of a peace agreement.”

Trump’s Image as Peacemaker

Despite deep skepticism about his motives, Trump remains a key player. Europe lacks leverage with Putin, and U.S. pressure could be the only force capable of shifting Moscow’s calculus.

Conservative media, meanwhile, is portraying Zelensky as the obstacle to peace, feeding Trump’s base a narrative of the president as the lone peacemaker standing against endless war.

But the central question remains: Is Trump acting as an honest broker — or is he steering Ukraine toward a deal that secures Putin’s victory while weakening Europe’s future security?

As Monday’s White House summit begins, the world is watching to see whether Trump will deliver peace — or plunge the West into its greatest geopolitical crisis in decades.