Trump’s Attempts at Russia-Ukraine Peace Falter

June 2nd, 2025

Finian Knepper

Over the past week, US President Donald Trump has attempted to negotiate with Vladimir Putin in an effort to bring an end to the Russia–Ukraine war—or at least to enable a ceasefire deal. However, over the past two weeks, following numerous threats of sanctions and tariffs, as well as repeated failures to cooperate, it appears that Trump’s attempts to initiate peace have been largely unsuccessful.

This brief will cover Donald Trump’s efforts to negotiate peace in Ukraine over the past few months, and how those efforts have changed this week.

Trump’s attempts to sway Putin began on the campaign trail, where he promised he would be able to end the war swiftly once he took office. As part of these efforts, he initiated a call with Vladimir Putin on February 12th, 2025—the first time the two had spoken since Trump took office. Three days later, White House officials traveled to Saudi Arabia to begin talks with Russian officials about ending the war. Ukraine and U.S. allies—especially those in Europe—criticized the U.S. for not inviting them to participate. This US–Europe disenchantment continued a week later, when Donald Trump held an in-person White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The meeting ended in apparent conflict between the two leaders, with no sign of a deal.

Trump’s phone calls and negotiations with Putin continued, yet ongoing strikes in Ukraine and Russia’s refusal to cooperate led to any prospective ceasefire deal falling through.

Ukraine seems open to the idea of a ceasefire, but it appears that Russia is slow—if willing at all—to come to the table. Just two days ago, Ukraine accused Russia of delaying peace talks. Russia had refused to share a memorandum outlining its goals and plans for peace, something necessary for the talks to proceed smoothly. With Ukraine–Russia talks set to resume in Istanbul on Monday, it becomes clear that while Trump has attempted to bring peace to Ukraine, the outcome may be uncertain given Russia’s continued defiance.

Extemp Analysis by Finian Knepper

Extemp Question: Will Donald Trump's attempts at peace in Ukraine help, or hinder, US alliances?

AGD: You could go either way as to whether you make a joke concerning Trump or Putin - or a story to get an emotional impact. However - I would stray away from making a narrative AGD unless you truly feel passionate about this topic - not doing so could lead your judges to feel you're playing something up for pity points, to put it bluntly.

BG: Trump's attempts at peace talks in the past are important - But interestingly, with this question you could change your background to better suit your points. It’s debatable if Trump is truly attempting for peace in Ukraine, or if he’s shilling out to Russia. Taking a side, and explaining why that's happening in your background will immensely strengthen your points for whatever side you take in this question.

SOS: What you choose to do for your SOS depends on your answer - if you chose to argue it’s a hindrance, emphasizing deaths in the war and the possibility of more conflict if the US drops out will work especially well. However, if you argue it's a help, talking about the importance of peace - if limited - will make another great SOS.

Thesis, Substructure and Points: As this question is descriptive, an appropriate substitute would be Cause-Effect-Impact. Talking about the effects of what Trump is doing - how it will affect our relationship with allies - and how that could lead to hindrance in the future will be a very good way to approach this question.