US President Donald Trump on Sunday said peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have entered their final stages, adding that the war will either end soon or continue for a long time. He made the remarks as he welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, a meeting seen as crucial to ending the nearly four-year conflict.
“We’re in the final stages of talking. We’re going to see. Otherwise, it’s going to go on for a long time. It’ll either end, or it’s going to go on for a long time, and millions of additional people are going to be killed, and nobody wants that,” Trump told reporters.
Asked whether he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about peace, Trump replied, “I do.”
Before meeting Zelenskyy, Trump held a one-hour-and-15-minute phone call with Putin, which he later described as “very productive.”
“Yes, I do believe he is serious about peace this time. I think they both are. They have to make a deal. Too many people have died, and both presidents want to make a deal,” Trump said.
Trump added that the outlines of a possible agreement were already taking shape and stressed that the deal would benefit all sides involved.
“I do believe that we have the makings of a deal. It’s good for Ukraine, good for everybody. There is nothing more important. I settled eight wars; this is the most difficult one. We are going to get it done,” he said.
Praising Zelenskyy, Trump said, “This gentleman has worked very hard. He’s very brave, and his people are very brave. What they’ve gone through, very rarely has a nation ever had to endure.”
Trump also said he would speak to Putin again after the meeting to continue negotiations, calling them “pretty complex, but not that complex.”
When asked about a deadline for ending the war, Trump said he had none. “My deadline is getting the war ended,” he remarked.
He further noted that a security agreement would be part of the deal, with European nations playing a significant role.
The meeting comes amid a fresh Russian attack on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, which reportedly killed at least two people and injured several others.
Several senior officials attended the dinner hosted by Trump for Zelenskyy, including foreign envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, among others. (Agencies)
