US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he still hopes Russian President Vladimir Putin will take steps toward peace in Ukraine. But he warned that Putin may have no intention of making a deal, calling it a “rough situation.”

Trump told Fox News that he expects to know more about Putin’s stance “in the next couple of weeks.”

He gave no details on possible security guarantees he has mentioned before. But he repeated his refusal to send US troops to Ukraine, stressing that diplomacy is the only option.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a problem (reaching a peace deal), to be honest with you. I think Putin is tired of it. I think they’re all tired of it, but you never know,” Trump said.

“We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks … It’s possible that he doesn’t want to make a deal,” he added.

White House summit signals progress

Trump’s remarks came after a high-level summit in Washington on Monday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined leaders from Germany, France, and the UK. The group discussed a possible roadmap to end the war.

Zelenskyy called the meeting a “major step forward.” He also said he plans a trilateral meeting with Trump and Putin soon.

The encounter improved ties between Trump and Zelenskyy, who clashed during an Oval Office meeting in February. But questions remain about Russia’s readiness to talk and about the nature of US guarantees for Ukraine.

Russia strikes while talks continue

Even as leaders talked peace, Russia intensified attacks. Ukraine’s air force said Russian forces launched 270 drones and 10 missiles overnight — the largest strike of the month.

The strikes hit the Poltava region and set Ukraine’s only oil refinery on fire.

Ukraine said Russia also returned the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers. In return, Moscow received the remains of 19 Russian troops, Russian state media reported.

Experts warn of tough compromises

Analysts said ending the war will not be easy. More than a million people have been killed or wounded since Russia’s full invasion in 2022.

John Foreman, a former British defence attaché, told Reuters: “The good news (from Monday’s summit) is that there was no blow-up. Trump didn’t demand Ukrainian capitulation nor cut off support. The mood music was positive and the trans-Atlantic alliance lives on.”

But he also warned: “On the downside, there is a great deal of uncertainty about the nature of security guarantees and what exactly the US has in mind.”

Allies prepare next steps

Ukraine’s partners met on Tuesday in the “Coalition of the Willing” format. They discussed tougher sanctions and new security guarantees.

Zelenskyy wrote on X: “We are now actively working at all levels on the specifics, on what the architecture of the guarantees will look like, with all members of the Coalition of the Willing, and very concretely with the United States.”

NATO military leaders planned to meet on Wednesday. US General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was expected to join virtually.

Moscow cautious, not committed

Russia has not confirmed a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow does not reject talks but insisted any summit “must be prepared with utmost thoroughness.”

Putin has ruled out NATO troops in Ukraine. He still demands control over disputed territories, including areas not under Russian occupation. His meeting with Trump in Alaska last week showed no sign of compromise.

Neil Melvin of the Royal United Services Institute said Russia may stretch out the war while pretending to negotiate. “They’re all tiptoeing around Trump” to avoid blame, he said. On US security guarantees, he added: “The problem is that what Trump has said is so vague it’s very hard to take it seriously.”