Trump Urges Putin to Sign Peace Deal with Ukraine: “Stop Shooting”

President Donald Trump has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to immediately halt attacks on Ukraine and commit to a peace agreement. Speaking to reporters at Morristown Municipal Airport on April 27, Trump said, “I want him to stop shooting, sit down, and sign a deal,” after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome, where they attended Pope Francis’ funeral.

Trump described his conversation with Zelenskyy as positive but noted that Ukraine’s president once again emphasized the urgent need for more weapons. Meanwhile, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow on April 25, signaling increasing U.S. pressure to bring the three-year conflict to an end.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio underscored the urgency of the moment, calling this “a very critical week” for deciding whether the U.S. will continue pushing for negotiations. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Rubio said both sides are “close” to a deal but warned, “we’re not close enough.”

In recent days, Trump has voiced growing frustration with Putin on social media, slamming Russian missile strikes on Kyiv as “unnecessary” and poorly timed. “Vladimir, STOP!” Trump posted, demanding action toward a settlement.

On April 26, Trump suggested that Russia’s continued attacks on civilian areas indicate Putin might not be serious about ending the war. “Maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war,” Trump wrote, “and has to be dealt with differently.”

At the same time, Trump, Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance have hinted that Washington could walk away from the negotiation effort if no real progress is made soon. When asked by European leaders whether U.S. military support for Ukraine would continue, Trump replied, “Let’s see what happens,” expressing optimism that a deal could still be secured.

However, Trump made it clear that certain conditions would be non-negotiable. In a Time magazine interview, he stated that Crimea would remain part of Russia and that Ukraine would not be allowed to join NATO — positions he believes Zelenskyy now accepts. “I think he wants to make a deal,” Trump said.

As negotiations intensify, the world watches closely to see whether Trump can broker the peace he is pushing for — or whether the conflict will continue to escalate.