President Donald Trump has shifted his approach to the 3½-year war in Ukraine, abandoning his long-standing demand for an immediate ceasefire and instead calling for a comprehensive peace accord. Speaking after a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Aug. 16, Trump said, “I don’t think you need a ceasefire,” arguing that negotiations could proceed while fighting continued. Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Aug. 18 and proposed what he called a “trilateral” format with Russia. Zelenskyy indicated Kyiv was ready to talk but reiterated the need for firm security guarantees from the United States and Europe. European leaders issued a joint statement welcoming U.S. efforts but stressed that Ukraine’s international borders must not be changed by force. Less than a week later, The Guardian reported that Trump had withdrawn from acting as a peace broker, telling Putin and Zelenskyy to arrange a bilateral meeting before he would re-engage. According to the report, the U.S. president has adopted a “wait-and-see” posture on whether such talks can materialize. The diplomatic uncertainty coincided with one of Russia’s largest aerial assaults this year. Ukraine’s air force said Moscow launched 574 drones and 40 missiles overnight on Aug. 21, killing one person and injuring 15. Ukrainian officials condemned the attack, noting it targeted western regions far from the front lines even as international efforts to secure a settlement intensified.