Trump Hints at Sweeping Russia Deal That Could Pull In All of Europe

Trump dropped the tease in the Oval Office, telling reporters the deal would be bigger than anyone expects. According to TheJournal.ie, he said it would involve more than Ukraine — and might even cover all of Europe. His words: a big, beautiful agreement that everyone would be thrilled about. He also admitted he could not say what he had discussed.

The setup was unusual. Trump held an unplanned meeting with Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's envoy, who was at the White House for talks with Ukrainian officials hosted by First Lady Melania Trump. Trump said he had not met with those Ukrainian officials himself. Melania Trump had used the occasion to call for a new, more enduring ceasefire in Ukraine, hosting a rare sit-down between officials from both warring countries.

The president pointed to a localised six-day truce in Oleshky — a starvation-hit Ukrainian city — announced by the First Lady last month as a possible stepping stone to something wider. That's the optimistic read. The nervous one: European leaders worry Trump is drifting toward the Kremlin and could strong-arm Ukraine into an unfavourable deal to end Russia's invasion.

Nato capitals have another reason to watch closely. Trump has hinted at pulling US troops off the continent, and allies are waiting to see whether he caves to Putin's maximalist demands to shrink American influence in Europe. Any such move would redraw the security map that has held since the Cold War.

There's a credibility gap too. Trump promised to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office in January 2025. More than that, he has repeatedly touted looming peace deals that never materialised. This time, though, he has a fresh meeting, a First Lady's ceasefire pitch and a city-sized truce to point at — thin scaffolding for a deal he says will span a continent.