Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin wants a deal to end the Ukraine war but blamed the lack of progress on the hostility between Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump described Putin and Zelenskyy as “two people that hate each other” and said a trilateral meeting involving the two leaders “could happen”.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been holding discussions in Moscow and Kyiv as Washington pushes to restart negotiations.
‘Putin Wants Ukraine Peace Deal’: Trump Blames Russian President’s ‘Hatred’ For Zelenskyy For Holdup
Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin wants a deal to end the Ukraine war but blamed the lack of progress on the hostility between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Summary
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) said Russian President Vladimir Putin wants a deal on Ukraine, but argued that progress has slowed because of “two people that hate each other”. The remarks came as Trump spoke about efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
“He is wanting to make a deal, and if Zelenskyy is wanting to make a deal, that’d be very nice,” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One for Dallas.
Reuters reports that Trump spoke with Putin by phone on Tuesday, shortly after US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner returned from diplomatic meetings in Moscow and Kyiv.
What Did Trump Say About Putin And Ukraine?
Trump made the comments in the while speaking about efforts to end the war in Ukraine. He said Putin wants a Ukraine deal, framing Moscow as open to an agreement even as the conflict remains unresolved.
He was asked by a reporter if he spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump responded, “We had a great conversation. He is wanting to make a deal. And if Zelenskyy is wanting to make a deal, that would be very nice.”
“What is the hold up?” the reporter asked. Trump said, “The holdup is two people that hate each other. What gives you more than anything else is two people that hate each other… I know about deals and these are two people that are tired of fighting.”
Trump was then asked if he was trying to set up a trilateral meeting.
“It could happen,” he said. “We had a good conversation. It could happen. Too many people are dying in that war. 25,000 last month.”
What Is The Status Of US-Russia-Ukraine Talks?
Witkoff and Kushner recently travelled to Moscow and Kyiv as part of US diplomatic efforts. Reuters says they discussed proposals aimed at ending the war. Talking about the same, Zelenskyy had said, “We may prefer certain formats of negotiations, but it's worse when there are no formats at all. I want to recognize the role of Steve and Jared in restarting the negotiation process today. It is important that the American team met with the head of Russia, and today with me, and that we discussed all the possibilities. We had a trilateral meeting with the participation of the Europeans, as well as a meeting of national security advisors, and I think we will do everything possible to restore these negotiations.”
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Trump has repeatedly said he believes Putin is open to a deal and has previously suggested direct negotiations involving Russia and Ukraine. His latest comments leave open the possibility of a trilateral meeting, although no such meeting has been formally announced.
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