Trump says Putin and Zelensky want to end the war
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky want to end the war in Ukraine, expressing optimism that the negotiations are making more progress than many observers believe.“I think we’re getting closer than people think. President Putin wants it to be over. I’ll tell you that very strongly. And President Zelensky actually wants it to be over now,” Trump told reporters.Trump said he has confidence in diplomatic efforts, adding that he believes a solution to the conflict may be closer than is publicly understood. “Well, I think he (Putin) is feeling the pressure. He wants to end the matter, Ukraine wants to end the matter, and we are in talks, and we will see if we can end the matter,” he said.The president said Ukraine will be a major topic during upcoming discussions with NATO allies during this week’s summit in Ankara.
Trump and Zelensky meeting
A senior US official said Trump will meet with Zelensky in Türkiye this week and make renewed efforts to end the war. “It is clear that the battlefield has been frozen over the past two months and neither side has made much progress,” the official said. “The president feels a real sense of urgency to try to put an end to this.”
Trump will also urge NATO allies to increase their defense spending, the official added: “He will deliver that message personally.”A Kremlin aide said that Trump spoke with Putin in a lengthy call on Sunday during which the US president offered to help find a solution to the war in Ukraine. Zelensky said he also spoke with Trump, including about the war’s 1,200-kilometre front line, and the conversation was “very good.”