U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, announced that a "massive deal" would be reached to end the war in Ukraine, one that extends well beyond the Ukrainian agenda. According to him, the agreement could affect not only Kyiv and Moscow but the entire European security architecture. "A deal will be reached. It will be a massive deal, and it won't just be about Ukraine. It won't just be about Ukraine, and I might even say that it might involve all of Europe. It will be a big, beautiful deal, and everyone will be thrilled," Trump said, as quoted by RBC-Ukraine, citing the White House broadcast.
Meeting with Putin's envoy: no details disclosed
In the same remarks, the American leader mentioned he had met with Kirill Dmitriev, whom he referred to as "Putin's envoy." However, Trump did not specify when this meeting took place or what topics were discussed. The absence of public details regarding the contact with Dmitriev leaves room for various interpretations regarding the current stage of the negotiation process between Washington and Moscow.
Reaction to the question of civilian deaths
During a Q&A session, journalists drew Trump's attention to the fact that, as they put it, Vladimir Putin is killing Ukrainian civilians in apartments, buses, and schools while continuing the war, and asked if he had raised this issue in his contacts. The U.S. President replied that he "always talks about it," but "touches on the topic from the other side as well, because people are dying in Russia too." This framing, in which victims on both sides are presented in the same context, has previously drawn criticism from Ukrainian officials and human rights organizations.
Context: position on a meeting between Putin and Zelensky
Earlier, on October 20, 2026, Trump stated in the Oval Office that a face-to-face meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky was not a prerequisite for signing a peace deal. "I think they can do it another way. It's hard for them to be in the same room. I don't care how it gets done," he said, emphasizing that he is interested in the result. By his assessment, there is an "enormous" mutual animosity between the two leaders, which he says makes a personal meeting format problematic.
Pressure on Kyiv: 'his people will not tolerate this anymore'
In that same month, Trump publicly urged the Ukrainian leader to agree to terms proposed by Washington to end the war, stating: "He (Zelensky) will need to want to make a deal, because I think his people will not tolerate this anymore." The American leader also recalled that the U.S. has provided "great support" to Ukraine throughout the conflict. These statements collectively form a picture where Washington positions itself as an arbitrator defining the terms and timeline of the settlement, with the key condition for the deal being Kyiv's willingness to accept terms formulated in the American format.
Currently, neither side has released a text or even a list of points for the alleged "massive deal." Kyiv has not officially commented on Trump's claims regarding the meeting with Dmitriev. Diplomatic channels between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv continue to operate, though public information about the content of the negotiations remains minimal.
