U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Ukraine and Russia are “very close to a deal” to end their three-year war and suggested that the two sides should meet for “very high-level talks” to finalize the agreement. Trump made these comments on his Truth Social platform just after arriving in Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral. His remarks came after his envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump said that most of the major issues in the conflict had already been agreed upon and called for an immediate end to the violence. He also offered to help facilitate the talks, adding, “We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!”
However, Trump’s comments have sparked controversy, particularly his statement that “Crimea will stay with Russia.” This has drawn criticism as it goes against Ukraine’s stance. Since Russia took control of Crimea in 2014, the peninsula has been a point of major disagreement. Trump has repeatedly said that Ukraine should accept Russia’s control over Crimea to reach a peace deal, a view that President Zelenskyy of Ukraine has rejected. Zelenskyy has made it clear that Ukraine will not accept losing any of its land to Russia.
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While Trump insists on urging Ukraine to negotiate with Russia, European leaders blame Russian President Putin for stalling peace talks, accusing him of continuing to expand Russian control over more Ukrainian territory.
Trump has said he wants the war to end as quickly as possible but added there’s no set deadline for peace talks. He also suggested that he might meet with Zelenskyy during his time in Rome, though it’s unclear if Zelenskyy would attend.
Earlier on the same day, Witkoff met Putin in Moscow to discuss resuming direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. Russian officials have said that the discussions are progressing, but some details of the deal still need to be worked out.
Despite the ongoing diplomatic efforts, Russia’s attacks on Ukraine continue. Recently, a drone strike on an apartment in Ukraine killed three people and injured ten. Russia has also launched several attacks on Ukrainian cities, causing further damage and civilian casualties.
Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy said that despite agreeing to a U.S.-proposed ceasefire 44 days ago, Russia’s attacks have not stopped. Cities like Sumy, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia have been hit by heavy bombardment, and the violence shows no signs of slowing down.
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The situation remains tense as both countries continue to face challenges in reaching a peace agreement. While Trump remains hopeful for a settlement, Ukraine is firm in its refusal to give up any of its land to Russia, signaling that any peace talks must respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
