'Do not be fooled': Column scoffs as Trump teases major peace deal progress

A Washington Post columnist gave Americans a warning on Monday: don't be "fooled" by President Donald Trump's latest remarks on a looming peace deal in the Ukraine invasion.

Max Boot wrote about the outcome of a highly anticipated meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend. Despite Trump and Zelensky's positive statements about the meeting, Boot argued there has been no real progress toward ending the war.

"Do not be fooled. Trump came into office promising to end the war in 24 hours. Nearly a year later, that ambitious objective is no closer to being achieved. How do I know? Because the fighting continues unabated," he wrote.

The columnist argued that Putin has shown no willingness to compromise and continues to pursue demands, including territorial gains in Donetsk, removal of NATO membership considerations, military limitations on Ukraine, exclusion of Western peacekeeping forces, and installation of a pro-Russian regime in Kyiv.

There's also someone conspicuously absent from the actual negotiation.

"Putin is the missing man in the 'peace negotiations.' Though Putin has had repeated conversations with Trump, most recently in a Sunday phone call, he refuses to meet with, or talk to, Zelensky. Putin has made clear that he views Zelensky as the illegitimate ruler of a nonexistent state — so what is there to talk about?"

Boot concluded that the conflict will only end once Putin is persuaded he can’t win militarily.

"Until that point is reached, peace negotiations aren’t going anywhere," Boot concluded.