US President Donald Trump wasted little time showing us his real priorities on the fairways of Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, after a heated summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The presidential motorcade headed toward Trump’s coveted golf course one day after negotiations failed to arrive at a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The focus is on a well-known trend: Trump gets his clubs out when things get complicated.
Trump and Putin’s meeting on Friday was touted as a possible watershed in the violent war in Ukraine. Plenty of optimism was there, leading many to believe the talks would lead to a brief ceasefire. But that hope was gone by the time Air Force One landed again. In a post-summit interview with FOX News, Trump emphasized that “we’re pretty close to a deal” but nodded that an agreement was still tricky.
He blamed Ukraine’s leader, saying, “Now it’s really up to President Zelensky.”
Another interesting request from the Alaska summit was Putin’s offer for Donald Trump to take a trip to Moscow, The Irish Star reports. Trump, who never backs down from a controversial headline, joked:
“Oh, that’s an interesting one. I don’t know. I’ll get a little heat on that one. But I can see it possibly happening.”
Donald Trump reached for a nine-iron as geopolitics simmered. Approximately 20% of the president’s second term appears to have been spent on the golf course. JD Vance, his vice president, was also seen leaving, although less gracefully, after a public incident at Donald Trump’s Turnberry resort in Scotland earlier this year.
Of course JD Vance took his 7th taxpayer funded vacation since February for round of golf at one of Trump’s courses in Scotland pic.twitter.com/dMJQpOuZ79
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) August 15, 2025
First Lady Melania Trump‘s letter to Putin brought a sensitive yet evolving touch to Friday’s summit. The main topic of her appeal was Ukraine’s at-risk children. In words later shared by FOX News, she wrote, “We must strive to paint a dignity-filled world for all — so that every soul may wake to peace, and so that the future itself is perfectly guarded.”
Kyiv voiced gratitude for the gesture. On social media, President Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, replied that the return of kidnapped Ukrainian children “should be a key condition for any peace agreement.”
Melania’s comments pointed to the human cost in a sector dominated by military tactics and hardball politics.
Donald giving this letter to Putin, on Melania’s behalf, is fucking bizarre enough – like a note from his mum asking school bully to play nice ie not massacre children, her signature looks eerily similar to his… 😬
Him writing & signing letters on her behalf seems on brand. pic.twitter.com/FBAmVp1Hgm
— Bridie (EBK) (@EmergencyBK) August 18, 2025
Donald Trump’s next major diplomatic test will be meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday.
The U.S. leader has been pressuring Kyiv to reach a compromise with Moscow, saying that European countries “have to get involved a little bit.” Still, he maintains that Zelensky bears the responsibility. Trump shrugged, “Maybe they’ll say no.”
A handful of European leaders are expected to visit the Oval Office that day, which might mean a deal or more division is imminent. Yet, there are concerns regarding the president’s decision to spend Saturday at the course. Was this the latest example of Trump’s reflexive return to the sport he has made synonymous with his presidency, or was it some relaxation before another demanding diplomatic push?
Donald Trump enjoying golf minutes after landing from Alaska where he met with Vladimir Putin.
These old man are built differently, I landed in SA from Chicago and I slept for two days 😂😅🤣. pic.twitter.com/fv9FLxZtQO
— Mzansi Presser (@Mzansipresser) August 17, 2025
According to Donald Trump’s critics, golf comes before geopolitics. For his fans, it’s just Trump being Trump: remaining calm, self-assured, and swinging with a sharp edge while the rest of the world worries.
Trump is still juggling the roles of golfer-in-chief and dealmaker-in-chief as the war in Ukraine drags on. Will those talks with Zelensky on Monday end in anything tangible, or will it be another round of promises coupled with more golf?
