President Donald Trump said on Monday that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to bring the war in Ukraine to an end, raising hopes for peace negotiations.
Trump made the comments during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House, following his summit with Putin in Alaska on Friday.
“I believe Putin wants it to end,” Trump told reporters, adding that “there’s a possibility something could come out of the Putin meeting.”
The U.S. president also hinted at possible trilateral talks, saying: “If everything works out well, we’ll have a trilateral meeting. I think there will be a reasonable chance of ending the war when we do that.” However, he cautioned that it was “not the end of the road” yet.
Despite optimism, Trump said he does not expect a ceasefire at this stage. The main obstacle remains territory occupied by Russia, with Moscow reportedly demanding Ukraine cede the rest of the Donbas region. Zelenskiy has repeatedly rejected giving up land.
On Sunday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Zelenskiy “can end the war with Russia almost immediately if he wants to, or he can continue to fight.”
During Monday’s meeting, Zelenskiy thanked Trump for his efforts, saying the priority was to stop the conflict. He also expressed openness to “trilateral engagement.”
Trump pledged support for both Ukraine and peace efforts. “I will work with Ukraine and all to make sure peace stays,” he said, adding that the U.S. would also provide “a lot of help on security.”
