Rapid agreement for a peace treaty is more desirable than a temporary truce, claims Merz
In a significant move at the Alaska summit of 2025, the USA, Europe, and Russia abandoned their initial push for a ceasefire in Ukraine as a precondition for peace talks. Instead, they opted for a more direct approach, aiming to negotiate a comprehensive peace agreement that would encompass security arrangements and territorial concessions, particularly concerning the Donbas region [3][4].
This strategic adjustment was defended by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, or Chancellor Merz, who argued that this pragmatic step was designed to accelerate negotiations and bring all parties, including Ukraine and Russia, into direct talks without the ceasefire serving as an immediate barrier [4].
President Donald Trump, representing the US position, announced a change in stance, suggesting that they would bypass the ceasefire as a prerequisite and go straight to negotiating a peace deal, including proposed meetings between Putin, Zelenskyy, and himself [3]. Chancellor Merz defended this new face of the negotiations, indicating that the strategy sought to balance the demands for security guarantees and territorial compromises while trying to prevent the war from dragging on indefinitely [4].
However, this shift has raised concerns that Ukraine's future could become a matter of negotiation between the West and Russia, potentially leading to Ukraine being used as a "hostage" to broader geopolitical concessions demanded by Russia [4]. Putin insisted on recognition of the Donbas as part of Russia, reflecting his conditions for any peace agreement, while also using talks of negotiations to delay substantive ceasefire measures and continue military pressure [3][4].
In summary, the strategy shift at the summit was from insisting on an upfront ceasefire to linking ceasefire efforts with a comprehensive peace framework that involves territorial and security concessions. Chancellor Merz defended this pragmatic recalibration as necessary for progress, though it has been criticized for potentially subordinating Ukrainian sovereignty to wider geopolitical bargaining [3][4][5].
Other world leaders are now focusing on policy-and-legislation and politics in regards to the war-and-conflicts in Ukraine, with the discussion shifting from the initial push for a ceasefire as a precondition for peace talks to a comprehensive peace agreement that includes security arrangements and territorial concessions, particularly concerning the Donbas region. General news outlets are reporting that this strategic adjustment has raised concerns that Ukraine's future could become a matter of negotiation between the West and Russia, potentially leading to Ukraine being used as a "hostage" to broader geopolitical concessions demanded by Russia.
