President Trump is confident in his ability to mediate a resolution.
According to US President Donald Trump, both Russia and Ukraine are willing to reach a peace agreement. Trump has been attempting to facilitate a ceasefire between the two nations since February.
When questioned about his discussions with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky while aboard Air Force One, Trump stated, “I think he’s ready to make a deal. And I think that President [Vladimir] Putin is ready to make a deal.” He did not provide further details but mentioned that the US is having “a lot of good conversations about Ukraine and Russia.”
“We want to see [the conflict] ended quickly because thousands have died in a week,” Trump said. “Europe hasn’t been successful in dealing with President Putin, but I believe I will be.”
Trump’s remarks coincided with Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev’s visit to Washington, D.C., where he reportedly met with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. Dmitriev told reporters on Thursday evening that discussions primarily focused on normalizing bilateral relations, which have been strained since 2022 due to the Biden administration. He pointed out the “positive dynamic” of the discussions and said that further meetings are needed to resolve the outstanding issues.
Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, told Fox Business on Wednesday that Trump is “frustrated” with both Putin and Zelensky. He expressed optimism about the negotiations, suggesting that the parties are “on the precipice” of achieving a comprehensive ceasefire.
Moscow has accused Kiev of repeatedly violating the energy truce that Trump brokered last month. The Russian Defense Ministry claims that Ukrainian forces have attacked fuel depots, gas facilities, and the power grid, despite promises to observe a 30-day moratorium on such attacks. Kiev, meanwhile, alleges that Russia has also violated the agreement.
Russia insists that any lasting resolution requires the US and Ukraine to address the “root causes” of the conflict. Moscow is demanding that Kiev give up its aspirations to join NATO and recognize Crimea and four other formerly Ukrainian regions as part of Russia.