Trump says Putin wants to make a deal to end Ukraine war

President Trump claimed to have had a "great conversation" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that Putin desires to reach a deal to end the war in Ukraine. The call, which reportedly occurred on Tuesday, followed meetings involving top Trump envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Moscow and Kyiv, respectively.

Trump expressed his belief that both Putin and Zelenskyy are interested in a peaceful resolution, despite the ongoing hostilities. However, the White House has not confirmed the call or provided a summary of the conversation. According to the Russian account, Trump informed Putin that ending the conflict would pave the way for the restoration of Russia-U.S. relations, and that he is keen on achieving a breakthrough during his presidency.

Kushner acknowledged that Trump has been closely monitoring the developments from their meetings and is actively seeking a pathway to resolve the conflict. Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of a just and fair peace that would prevent Russia from resuming its attacks. Despite these discussions, Russia resumed its attacks on Kyiv on Tuesday, resulting in casualties.

The peace talks come amid Lithuania's efforts to train civilians for potential Russian aggression, as they border Belarus, a country allied with Russia. Trump had pledged to end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office, but he has acknowledged that achieving this goal has proven more difficult than expected, describing the pledge as figurative or an exaggeration. He has been in office for approximately 20 months.