In the wake of a massive Russian drone and missile barrage unleashed on Ukraine Wednesday night, the prospects for a peace deal between the two countries seem as distant as ever, even after the Trump administration conducted several days of talks between all parties earlier this week. Experts say the Trump administration must take more concrete measures like providing Kyiv with increased air defense systems and enforceable security guarantees if it hopes to convince Moscow to engage in serious peace negotiations.

Reports surfaced Thursday that almost 600 drones and 40 missiles were launched from Russia, striking civilian targets in the western part of Ukraine that had mostly been untouched by the war. Notably, an American-owned electronics factory near the Hungarian border was one of the targets, causing an extensive fire that injured numerous civilians.

The actions by Russian President Vladimir Putin are clear indications that his overtures toward the possibility of a peace deal during his summit with President Trump in Alaska last weekend were merely a ruse. Experts like Nate Reynolds, who served on former President Joe Biden’s National Security Council, told The Wall Street Journal that “the Russians think time is on their side in this conflict” and that they are “in no hurry to negotiate a peace settlement.” Alexander Vershbow, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia and NATO, further argued that Trump’s lack of real pressure on Putin, including his hesitancy to provide Ukraine with more weapons, “has been the most egregious missing piece of his so-called strategy.”

In comments to The Washington Stand, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Bob Maginnis, who serves as senior fellow for National Security at Family Research Council, also contended that the possibility of a battlefield defeat is the only thing that is likely to get Putin to negotiate.

“At this stage, the Trump administration must recognize that diplomacy without deterrence is doomed to fail,” he remarked. “Moscow’s mass strike on August 20-21 — including the deliberate hit on a U.S.-owned Flex electronics facility in Mukachevo — underscored that Russia views talks as cover for escalation, not as a pathway to peace. If Washington truly intends to pursue a ceasefire with integrity, it must immediately pair ongoing negotiations with enforceable, automatic responses to Russian aggression.”

Maginnis continued, “That means publicly announcing an ‘Aid-on-Attack’ trigger, whereby any further Russian strikes on civilian or American-owned assets automatically release air defense systems and counter-drone munitions to Ukraine within days. It also requires accelerating deployment of layered defenses in western Ukraine, where Moscow has now demonstrated its willingness to strike deep. Only by showing that new attacks will carry rapid, tangible consequences can the United States move Russia toward a serious negotiating posture rather than continued stonewalling.”

Maginnis went on to argue that adding real teeth to U.S. and European-led security guarantees for Ukraine will also likely contribute to a more rapid ceasefire agreement.

“The administration should structure diplomacy around enforceable guarantees rather than aspirational promises,” he maintained. “A bilateral U.S.-Ukraine security accord — backed by Congress — could codify monthly resupply quotas, rapid sanctions snap-backs for ceasefire violations, and integrated early-warning systems. Combined with a European-led ‘SkyShield’ consortium, such measures would offer both protection for civilians and credibility to Ukraine’s leadership, while denying Putin the ability to manipulate talks through violence.”

“By making guarantees real — through pre-authorized aid, sanctions tied to behavior, and visible defenses on the ground — the Trump administration can test whether Moscow is genuinely interested in a ceasefire,” Maginnis added. “If not, the world will see that Russia, not the West, is responsible for prolonging the bloodshed.”

Meanwhile, lawmakers like Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) say that Russia is part of an “axis of evil” that has little regard for human life.

“[T]truth be told, nothing’s changed since Reagan was president,” he told “Washington Watch” Thursday. “You still have North Korea. You still have China, which wants world domination. Russia, you have a dictator that is ruthless to the [extreme]. And so, just like in World War II, where Mussolini and Hitler got together, it’s no different now. Dictators tend to migrate towards each other. And sadly enough, this is seemingly repeating again today.” He went on to observe that Putin “doesn’t mind killing his own people or killing the North Koreans, or specifically killing Ukrainians, and trying to get a peace on this is extremely difficult.”

Still, Murphy expressed confidence that President Trump, who has negotiated multiple peace deals over the last few months, may eventually be able to get a Russia-Ukraine deal over the line. “[T]he president wants something done sooner [rather] than later, as does the entire world. And I’m hopeful that he’ll be able to see this to fruition.”