Donald Trump said a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is closer than ever after talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies, but key differences remain.
He claimed to have recently spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he said wants the war to end, as negotiations continue in Berlin.
While the US president believes Russia could be persuaded to accept a Nato-like security guarantee for Ukraine, disputes over territory remain unresolved.
Trump Says Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Closer But Territorial Disputes Persist
The proposal has reportedly been discussed during nearly three days of talks between US officials and the Ukrainian delegation, though no formal agreement has yet been announced.
Summary
Donald Trump has said a potential peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine is closer than ever, though major differences remain, particularly over territorial issues.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, the US president said he had held extensive discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies on the status of negotiations currently underway in Berlin. Trump described the conversations as constructive and suggested momentum was building toward an agreement.
“I think we’re closer now than we have been ever, and we’ll see what we can do. We want to save a lot of lives,” Trump said. He added that he had recently spoken directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming that Putin “wants to see it end”.
His remarks came amid reports that the US president believes he could persuade Putin to accept a Nato-style Article Five security guarantee for Ukraine. The proposal has reportedly been discussed during nearly three days of talks between US officials and the Ukrainian delegation, though no formal agreement has yet been announced.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy-Trump Talks
Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine had agreed to stop the war with Russia by giving up its desire to join the NATO military alliance in exchange for Western security guarantees.
The action represents a significant change for Ukraine, which has pushed to become a member of NATO to protect itself from Russian aggression and has such a goal enshrined in its constitution. Although Kyiv has been steadfast in its refusal to give up land to Moscow, it also fulfils one of Russia's war objectives.
Zelenskyy said on Sunday that the U.S., European and other partners' security guarantees instead of NATO membership were a compromise on Ukraine's side.
"From the very beginning, Ukraine desired to join NATO; these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the US and Europe did not support this direction," he said in answer to questions from reporters in a WhatsApp chat.
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