The $150 billion price Ukraine may pay for peace: Trump wants talks, Putin wants land
Trump, fresh from a high-level meeting in the White House with Zelensky and several European leaders, said on Truth Social: “At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting… between President Putin and President Zelensky.”
- Aug 19, 2025,
- Updated Aug 19, 2025 7:42 AM IST
Ukraine has reportedly proposed a sweeping $150 billion security deal to the U.S., aimed at appealing to Donald Trump’s “America First” instincts, just as the former president pivots toward a Russia-friendly peace push following direct talks with Vladimir Putin.
The package, presented ahead of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s White House visit, includes $100 billion in European-financed purchases of U.S. weapons and a $50 billion joint drone manufacturing partnership.
Kyiv is betting that framing the deal as a boon for American industry will gain traction with Trump, who told reporters Monday, “We’re not giving anything. We’re selling weapons.”
Trump, fresh from a high-level meeting in the White House with Zelensky and several European leaders, said on Truth Social: “At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting… between President Putin and President Zelensky.” He added that a trilateral summit involving all three leaders would follow: “Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine.”
The shift comes amid concerns that Trump is warming to Moscow’s position. A source told AFP that Putin had signaled willingness to meet Zelensky. Trump said Putin “agreed to Western security guarantees for Ukraine,” though not NATO membership—a key sticking point for Kyiv.
Zelensky, who met privately with Trump in the Oval Office, called it their “best” meeting yet—marking a sharp change in tone from a public clash earlier this year when Trump and Vice President JD Vance scolded him for not showing enough gratitude.
“In a week or two weeks, we're going to know whether or not we're going to solve this or is this horrible fighting going to continue,” Trump said.
Still, tensions remain. Trump has pressured Ukraine to consider giving up Crimea and shelving NATO aspirations. On Monday, he told European leaders they “need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory” as part of any settlement.
Despite rejecting Russia’s recent proposal to freeze front lines, Ukraine insists any deal must start with a ceasefire and end with a durable security framework backed by the West—not concessions to Putin.
Ukraine has reportedly proposed a sweeping $150 billion security deal to the U.S., aimed at appealing to Donald Trump’s “America First” instincts, just as the former president pivots toward a Russia-friendly peace push following direct talks with Vladimir Putin.
The package, presented ahead of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s White House visit, includes $100 billion in European-financed purchases of U.S. weapons and a $50 billion joint drone manufacturing partnership.
Kyiv is betting that framing the deal as a boon for American industry will gain traction with Trump, who told reporters Monday, “We’re not giving anything. We’re selling weapons.”
Trump, fresh from a high-level meeting in the White House with Zelensky and several European leaders, said on Truth Social: “At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting… between President Putin and President Zelensky.” He added that a trilateral summit involving all three leaders would follow: “Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine.”
The shift comes amid concerns that Trump is warming to Moscow’s position. A source told AFP that Putin had signaled willingness to meet Zelensky. Trump said Putin “agreed to Western security guarantees for Ukraine,” though not NATO membership—a key sticking point for Kyiv.
Zelensky, who met privately with Trump in the Oval Office, called it their “best” meeting yet—marking a sharp change in tone from a public clash earlier this year when Trump and Vice President JD Vance scolded him for not showing enough gratitude.
“In a week or two weeks, we're going to know whether or not we're going to solve this or is this horrible fighting going to continue,” Trump said.
Still, tensions remain. Trump has pressured Ukraine to consider giving up Crimea and shelving NATO aspirations. On Monday, he told European leaders they “need to discuss the possible exchanges of territory” as part of any settlement.
Despite rejecting Russia’s recent proposal to freeze front lines, Ukraine insists any deal must start with a ceasefire and end with a durable security framework backed by the West—not concessions to Putin.