Trump Predicts Ukraine War Ending Soon Despite Deadline Pressure

According to the news, as of August 6th, 2025, US President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about the potential end of the Ukraine war in the coming weeks. This comes despite the fact that his deadline for Vladimir Putin to reach a ceasefire with Ukraine is set to expire in a matter of days.

Trump stated that "great progress" had been made during a three-hour meeting in Moscow between his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the Russian president. Witkoff had traveled to Russia in an attempt to convince Putin to sign a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine. However, it remains unclear what Russia might offer to stave off the US president's threat of further sanctions.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has insisted that international sanctions imposed since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine have had a limited impact. Ukraine, on the other hand, maintains that the sanctions are taking a toll on Moscow's war machine and wants Western allies to ramp them up.

Separately, the Russian and Chinese navies have practiced hunting and destroying an enemy submarine in the Sea of Japan, according to Russia's defense ministry. This comes just days after Trump claimed he had moved two US nuclear submarines closer to Russia.

Despite the ongoing tensions, Trump spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, following the meeting with Witkoff. The Ukrainian government has stated that a full ceasefire and a leaders' summit are required to end the war.