Russia and Ukraine are close to a peace agreement, according to US president Trump. According to the New York Times, Ukraine submits counterproposal to Trump’s plan.

Shortly after arriving in Rome to attend the Pope’s funeral, former US President Donald Trump caused a stir with an optimistic prediction about the end of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. Trump announced on his own network, Truth Social, that Russia and Ukraine were “very close to a deal” and should “meet at a very high level to get things done.”

Trump signals optimism – experts remain skeptical

Trump used his reach to promote swift negotiations, but political observers are urging caution. Prof. Michael A. Bailey of Georgetown University told BILD:

“Trump lies so often that it’s hardly worth asking if what he says is true. The likelihood that he is telling the truth about Ukraine is very low.”

New York Times: Ukraine submits counterproposal to Trump plan

The New York Times reported at the same time that the Ukrainian government had drawn up a counterproposal to Trump’s favored peace plan. According to the report, the Trump administration’s plan calls for the deployment of a US-backed “European security contingent” in Ukraine to ensure security. In addition, frozen Russian assets are to be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

For the Kremlin, however, this point could be an absolute no-go. Nevertheless, details of the Ukrainian proposal show that Kiev is apparently working toward finding common ground with Moscow. For example, neither the complete return of all Russian-occupied territories nor Ukraine’s mandatory accession to NATO are being demanded—two demands that President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously insisted on.

Trump: Agreement on “most important points” in sight

Trump nevertheless remains optimistic, saying that agreement has already been reached on “most important points.” The Republican is calling for an immediate end to the “bloodshed” and writes: “We will be wherever we need to be to support the end of this cruel and senseless war!” According to him, there have been “good talks with Russia and Ukraine” (Truth Social, April 2025).

Special envoy meets Putin

The intense diplomatic wrangling is also confirmed by new meetings at the highest level: US special envoy Steve Witkoff met again with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday, according to BILD, citing its own research.