President Trump is meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House today to discuss ending Russia's war in Ukraine. But former national security adviser Jake Sullivan says Trump's meeting last Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin was a "setback" for the U.S. effort to bring peace to Ukraine.
Going into his Alaska summit last week, Trump said the main goal was to negotiate a ceasefire deal, and he warned of "severe consequences" for Russia if that deal wasn't reached. Trump left the meeting with a different message though, saying a ceasefire wasn't necessary and pushing for a peace agreement instead, which is Putin's preference.
"That's a big win for Vladimir Putin and I think a setback for the U.S. effort to bring about a true peace in Ukraine," Sullivan, who advised former President Joe Biden, said.
Zelenskyy's last visit to the White House, on Feb. 28, ended in a heated dispute between the Ukrainian leader and Trump. During the meeting, Trump told Zelenskyy that he would have to make concessions with Russia to prevent the total destruction of Ukraine.
Several key European leaders will join Zelenskyy today, including European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The united front is posed to prevent a repeat of Zelenskyy's last visit to the White House, but it's also an opportunity to ensure Ukraine has a say in the negotiations.
Trump is expected to insist that Ukraine take a deal that would deny it NATO membership, and ask it to give up territory, like Crimea. While European leaders plan to weigh in on Trump's "land swap" proposals, which Zelenskyy has already opposed, and security guarantees to prevent Russia from invading Ukraine again.
NPR's Leila Fadel spoke with Sullivan about how Trump's summit in Alaska with Putin last week will shape the president's meeting with Zelenskyy today in Washington, D.C.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Interview Highlights
Leila Fadel: Zelenskyy will be at the White House with European allies. And it appears Zelenskyy is expected to make concessions, possibly give up Crimea and hopes for NATO membership. What do you make of this strategy of asking Ukraine to make these concessions to end the war?
Jake Sullivan: Well, look, taking a step back, I think in any true peace agreement, there have to be compromises on both sides. But the real question is, is President Trump actually looking for a true peace agreement or is he effectively taking President Putin's side and saying it's Ukraine that has to make a whole series of concessions? It's interesting to me that there is more nervousness around Zelenskyy coming than there was around Putin coming when Zelenskyy is supposed to be a friend, and we know that Putin is a foe. But that's the dynamic that's been created effectively out of Alaska, when President Trump flipped his position and said he's no longer looking for a ceasefire. He will no longer impose consequences on Russia. Instead, he's going to put all the pressure on Zelenskyy. And I think that this is playing into Vladimir Putin's hands.
Fadel: What about this concession they say they did get, that they could offer security guarantees to prevent Russia from attacking again, something they say Putin has agreed to and they called it 'game changing?'
Sullivan: Well, security guarantees are absolutely essential because over the long term, what Putin really wants is the subjugation of Ukraine. So ensuring that Ukraine has the means to deter a future Russian invasion is vital to ensuring peace. But the fine print really matters. Russia has previously offered security guarantees to Ukraine and said that that would be an acceptable part of an outcome. But critically, it said it would be part of those security guarantees alongside the United States. That's what it said back in 2022. So is it actually offering real security guarantees or accepting real security guarantees provided by the United States and Europe? Or is there an asterisk associated with this that means this isn't a serious proposal? We don't know yet. Knowing Vladimir Putin, my guess is that in the fine print, Russia is seeking to continue to destabilize and undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. And it is vital that the United States nails this down before going out to tout progress.
Fadel: This war has been going on for three and a half years. You worked under the Biden administration to try to end it and nothing has worked. Sanctions didn't work. Threats didn't work. Deadlines didn't work. Russia kept taking land. And now Ukraine is at risk of losing 20% of its territory. Did Biden, and now Trump, get this wrong when Russia experts say Putin will only be forced into concession with the threat of true military defeat and U.S. and European allies help Ukraine fight, but not really defeat Russia.
Sullivan: Well, President Biden took the position, which President Trump has also taken, that the United States will not directly enter the war against Russia with American forces on the ground. I think that was the right call and I think it's the right call now. But pressure does work. Why did Putin come to Alaska? He came to Alaska because he was worried that President Trump was going to increase economic sanctions, especially on oil against Russia. And he wants to avoid that. And that should tell us everything we need to know. If President Trump, alongside Europe, really cranked up the economic pressure on Russia at a moment when their economy is weak, I do believe it would create more leverage to get a good deal, a true peace in Ukraine. And that should be the next step the U.S. takes.
Fadel: But what makes you feel like it would happen when economic pressure in the past hasn't worked?
Sullivan: Well, it's because it's been building. And if you look at the Russian economic official speaking publicly about how their war machine is sputtering, now is the moment, in my view, to really tighten the pressure, especially with oil prices being where they are globally. And that is going to get Putin's attention. We saw that in Alaska. President Trump had an instinct for that. Now he needs to follow through on that.
Written and adapted for web by Destinee Adams. The digital version was edited by Treye Green.
Copyright 2025 NPR
