Trump Says U.S. and NATO ‘Stepping Up Pressure’ to End Ukraine War

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Washington and its NATO allies are intensifying efforts to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, following unsuccessful attempts to secure a ceasefire through direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking in the Oval Office during a meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Trump confirmed the renewed push for peace.

“Yeah, we are stepping up the pressure,” he said in response to a question from an AFP reporter about whether he planned to increase diplomatic efforts.

“We’re stepping it up together. We’re all stepping it up. NATO has been great,” Trump added.

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The U.S. president, who earlier this week brokered a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, acknowledged that ending the conflict sparked by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine remains a more challenging task.

Trump hosted Putin in Alaska in August in an attempt to restart peace negotiations, but the meeting failed to produce a breakthrough. Since then, Russian attacks on Ukraine have intensified.

On Wednesday, Moscow said that any progress toward a peace agreement had “largely vanished” following that meeting.

Despite the setback, Finnish President Alexander Stubb expressed optimism that Trump could still secure a resolution.

“I think this one will be the next big one,” Stubb told reporters, referring to the Ukraine conflict.

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