President Trump has ditched his demand for Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine and appears ready to pressure Kyiv to cede territory to Moscow as part of a peace deal that also includes U.S. security guarantees. 

Trump’s shift follows a meeting with Putin in Alaska, in which Trump touted progress toward a peace deal but offered no specifics. The president is set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders at the White House on Monday. 

Before his meeting with Putin, Trump said he would be angry if the Russian leader did not agree to a ceasefire in Anchorage, while European leaders who spoke to Trump prior to the summit said he agreed he would not negotiate territorial concessions with Putin. 

It seems the president changed his mind on both counts. 

After a call with Zelensky and European leaders on Saturday, Trump said in a social media post that “it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”

There’s no sign that Ukrainian or European officials are on board with the plan. This approach would violate one of the five principles that Ukraine and Europe laid out before the talks: that a ceasefire must be in place before formal peace talks begin. 

Zelensky said Monday’s meeting would allow all sides “to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war.”

There are signs that Moscow is willing to lower some of its demands. 

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told ZDF television that Trump, on the call with European leaders, said Russia was prepared to negotiate based on the current “line of contact,” or front line in the war, rather than the administrative boundary around four regions that it illegally annexed early in the war.

And Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that Putin had agreed to “robust” security guarantees for Ukraine, which he called a “game changer” in the negotiations. 

“Everything is going to be about what the Ukrainians can live with, but assuming they could, we were able to win the following concession: that the United States could offer Article Five-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO,” Witkoff said.

Article 5 of the NATO charter states that an attack on one member is an attack on all; effectively ensuring the U.S. will deploy its military to protect allies. Russia has drawn a red line on Ukraine joining the alliance, while Kyiv has insisted on U.S. security guarantees as part of a peace deal. 

Putin has also reportedly offered a written promise not to invade the rest of Ukraine or other neighboring countries in the future. Critics point out Putin has made a habit of violating such agreements. 

The biggest sticking point is likely to be what Trump has called “land swaps,” though all of the land in question belongs to Ukraine. 

Zelensky has insisted that Ukraine’s constitution bars him from ceding any territory, while arguing that a Ukrainian retreat from the Donbas – the eastern region claimed by Russia – would open the way for Russia to invade the rest of Ukraine, including Kyiv. 

“We will never leave the Donbas” Zelensky told reporters Tuesday. 

Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, sought to temper expectations of an imminent peace deal in a Saturday post on X. 

“President Trump’s resolve to get a peace deal is vital,” she said. “But the harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war anytime soon.”

She suggested that Trump needed to do more to pressure Putin. 

“The U.S. holds the power to force Russia to negotiate serious,” she said, adding, “Moscow won’t end the war until it realizes it can’t continue.”

Trump had shown increasing frustration with Putin in the months leading up to the Alaska summit, but since the meeting has not mentioned his threats of crippling sanctions mean to isolate Moscow from its key trading partners. 

Earlier this month, Trump announced new sanctions on India over its purchase of Russian oil, which are set to take effect in the coming weeks. 

While Republicans have expressed optimism that Trump’s mediation is moving Russia and Ukraine closer to peace, some Democrats have said the president appears to be handing Putin what he wants with nothing in return. 

“It was a failure,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said of Friday’s summit, during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. 

“Trump said, if I don’t get a cease fire, Putin is going to pay a price. And then he walked out of that meeting saying, I didn’t get a cease fire, I didn’t get a peace deal, and I’m not even considering sanctions,” Murphy said. 

“Putin walks away from this photo op with zero commitments made and zero consequences. What a great day for Russia.”