President Donald Trump said he does not believe a ceasefire is necessary in the Russia-Ukraine war, speaking at a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on 18 August. Trump argued that negotiations for a peace agreement can continue while fighting persists, noting that six deals he brokered earlier this year were reached during active hostilities. "I like the concept of a ceasefire for one reason—because you’d stop killing people immediately—but strategically I don’t think you need one," he said. The remarks diverge from Zelenskyy’s longstanding call for an immediate halt to the fighting. Trump did not outline any punitive measures should a ceasefire fail to materialize, leaving open how Washington might press the warring parties as talks proceed.