Trump did not fulfill the terms of his own ultimatum because Putin proposed a meeting.

“I was going to do a lot more, but I got a call that they want to meet. I’ll see what they want to talk about”, US President Donald Trump said. He added that he would like to see a ceasefire in the war Russia is waging against Ukraine and to achieve the best deal for each side.

ISW analysts noted that Putin’s decision to ask Trump for a meeting just before the White House was set to impose economic restrictions against Russia or its trading partners undermines the Kremlin’s narrative that sanctions haven’t impacted the Russian economy. Experts believe that strong economic measures by the US and other Western countries against Russia, combined with timely and sufficient military support for Ukraine, may allow it to suffer more serious losses on the battlefield, casting doubt on Putin’s “theory of victory”.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also said that Putin agreed to talks with Trump because he feels pressure from Washington. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham commented: “President Trump announced the sale of weapons to Europe to help Ukraine, and this alarmed Putin. Trump’s decision to impose additional tariffs on India for buying Russian oil also played a big role. That’s why Putin is going to Alaska. Peace through strength“, Graham said.