Ukraine-Russia Conflict in 2025: Diplomacy and Ongoing Fighting
Throughout 2025, former President Trump engaged with both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in efforts to pursue a negotiated settlement to the Ukraine-Russia conflict. High-profile summits and direct calls took place, but these diplomatic efforts led to little change on the battlefield.
By the end of the year, negotiators had coalesced around a revised 20-point framework addressing a ceasefire, security guarantees for Ukraine, and mechanisms for disputed territories and demilitarized zones. Zelenskyy indicated openness to certain elements of the framework but called for robust, long-term security guarantees, linking the status of Donbas to broader guarantees. In contrast, Russia insisted on recognition of its territorial claims and resisted restrictions on its military posture, tying its leverage to developments on the battlefield.
On the military front, Russia pursued incremental gains in eastern and southern Ukraine using artillery and drone attacks, while Ukrainian forces mounted localized but limited counterattacks without securing a decisive breakthrough. Ukraine conducted strikes against Russian energy infrastructure, prompting Russia to target Ukraine’s energy grid in what appeared to be a broader horizontal escalation.
Despite sanctions, Russia continued to finance the war by ramping up defense production; the sanctions constrained economic growth but did not compel concessions. Tensions arose in February 2025 when Zelenskyy stormed out of a White House meeting after Trump stated that Zelenskyy had "no cards" to play; Trump later acknowledged Moscow as the primary obstacle to progress. In August 2025, a high-profile summit in Alaska between Trump and Putin took place, though several meetings were later canceled due to lack of progress.
Overall, the talks clarified each side's positions but did not close the significant gaps. Diplomacy proceeded alongside ongoing fighting, with territorial issues remaining central to both sides' calculations.
