Trump’s Iran Win, Now Ukraine?

June 17, 2026

After striking an Iran deal at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in France, President Trump turned his attention to Ukraine and sent a direct message: “Russia should make a deal.”

Story Snapshot

Trump told reporters at the G7 summit that both Putin and Zelensky appear open to negotiations on ending the Ukraine war.
Trump said Russia has “lost tremendous amounts of people” and should come to the table — a notable shift in tone from earlier pressure on Ukraine.
The U.S. has already put forward a detailed 28-point peace plan, but it has not been formally accepted by either Russia or Ukraine.
Analysts warn that Russia’s stated goal is not a negotiated settlement but Ukraine’s full capitulation, making a deal far harder than Trump’s optimism suggests.

Trump Shifts Focus to Ukraine After Iran Breakthrough

At the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Trump arrived riding high on what he called a major diplomatic win — a memorandum of understanding with Iran to end hostilities in the Gulf. With that deal in hand, Trump announced he would now focus on stopping the war in Ukraine. Standing alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump said he had spoken with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin and felt hopeful.

“We had a very good conversation yesterday with President Zelensky and President Putin,” Trump told reporters. “I see maybe we can do something there. I really do. I think they’re both open to it.” Trump also said Russia has “lost tremendous amounts of people, and so has Ukraine,” and that Russia “should make a deal.” European leaders at the summit pushed Trump to take a harder line, arguing that past U.S. proposals leaned too far toward Moscow’s demands.

What the U.S. Peace Plan Actually Asks

The Trump administration’s 28-point peace framework is already on the table. The plan would require Ukraine to give up eastern territories including Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk as de facto Russian-controlled land. It would also cap Ukraine’s military size and formally end any path toward joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In exchange, the U.S. would provide a conditional security guarantee — promising a “decisive coordinated military response” if Russia attacks Ukraine again.

The plan also includes economic terms. It calls for lifting sanctions on Russia, using $100 billion in frozen Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine, and forming a long-term U.S.-Russia partnership in areas like mining and artificial intelligence. All parties would receive amnesty for wartime actions, and Ukraine would be required to hold elections within 100 days of any agreement. European allies and Ukraine have raised serious concerns, saying the plan gives Russia too much.

Russia’s Demands Go Far Beyond a Simple Deal

Despite Trump’s optimism, the path to peace remains steep. Russia has not publicly endorsed the White House plan. Analysts note that the Kremlin’s stated demands go well beyond territory — Putin has used the phrase “eliminate the root causes of the conflict,” which experts say is code for maximum demands including sanctions relief and possibly the removal of Zelensky’s government. The Kremlin has also rejected any immediate ceasefire, insisting arrangements must come first.

The leaders of G7 meet in the French Alps aiming to tackle some of the world's most pressing issues. At the top of today's agenda is ending Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. “Russia should make a deal,” said U.S. President Donald Trump [@POTUS], adding that he would do… pic.twitter.com/oZhwu9TLDo

— TVP World (@TVPWorld_com) June 16, 2026

The Brookings Institution noted that a recent surge of talks between American, Russian, Ukrainian, and European officials has so far failed to produce a settlement. ^[22] Trump’s own 28-point plan has been rejected by both sides at various points. ^[15] Still, Trump’s change in tone — now pressing Russia rather than just Ukraine to come to the table — marks a real shift. Whether that shift moves Putin is the question that matters most. A lasting peace, experts say, will require a genuine strategic change in Moscow, not just optimistic summit remarks. ^[17]