Trump shifting focus back to Ukraine: Where do peace talks stand?

Moscow recently described the US-mediated peace process as being in a “situational pause” due to the Iran war US President Donald Trump has signaled that Washington will refocus on efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict after peace talks were put on hold by the crisis in the Middle East. The prospect of renewed US engagement has reportedly unsettled EU officials, who fear the bloc could once again be sidelined if Washington resumes direct negotiations with Moscow. Here is RT’s breakdown of where the peace process stands and what could come next. Ukraine back on agenda At the G7 summit in France on Tuesday, Trump said Washington would turn back to trying end the Russia-Ukraine conflict once the Iran war is formally concluded. “Now that this [Iran war] is finished, we are gonna be focusing on that [Ukraine conflict] and see if we can get that one done,” he told reporters, referring to a memorandum of understanding he is expected to sign with Tehran on Friday. Read more Zelensky not on Trump’s G7 meeting list – Bloomberg Trump spoke after separate calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, saying both leaders appeared open to a deal. European reaction The prospect of renewed US diplomacy has reportedly unsettled EU officials, who fear Europe could again be sidelined if Washington pursues direct talks with Moscow. “Having Trump be distracted was not necessarily a bad thing,” one EU diplomat told Politico. French President Emmanuel Macron insisted Europe must be involved in any settlement talks, arguing that it now bears much of the burden of supporting Kiev. “The right kind of negotiation is one with Ukraine and Russia sitting around the table, and the Europeans and Americans by their side,” he told TF1. Where do the talks stand? After Washington resumed direct contacts with Moscow following years of diplomatic freeze under Joe Biden, Russia, Ukraine and the US held three rounds of talks aimed at reaching a settlement.

Read more Putin holds phone call with Trump – Kremlin The negotiations yielded several tangible results, including major prisoner exchanges, the repatriation of fallen soldiers, and the exchange of peace memorandums. However, they failed to secure a peace deal, with key disagreements persisting, particularly over Moscow’s demand that Ukrainian forces withdraw from Donbass. A fourth round of talks, expected in March, was postponed after Washington shifted its focus to the Iran war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has since described the process as being in a “situational pause” pending renewed US engagement. What settlements have been proposed? Following the Alaska summit, where Moscow and Washington stressed the need for a lasting settlement rather than the ceasefire sought by Kiev and its European backers, Trump unveiled a 28-point peace roadmap. According to leaked drafts, it called for Ukraine to abandon its NATO ambitions, drop territorial claims, and cap its military at 600,000 personnel. Moscow welcomed the proposal as a potential basis for peace. However, under pressure from the EU and UK, several key provisions were later removed or revised. The updated 20-point plan reportedly included demilitarized zones, Western security guarantees for Kiev, an 800,000-strong peacetime Ukrainian military, a reconstruction fund for Ukraine, and a path toward EU membership. Read more Kiev and its backers pushing fakes to hide Zelensky’s real crimes – Moscow Russia confirmed receiving the revised proposal but declined to discuss its contents, accusing the Europeans of reshaping the framework and undermining peace efforts. What are the next steps? On Tuesday, Trump discussed Ukraine with Zelensky and other leaders during a closed-door G7 session and later held a separate meeting with the Ukrainian leader. While