The US president says Moscow wants a settlement but accuses Ukraine’s leader of repeatedly missing opportunities to negotiate an end to the war….reports Asian Lite News Desk
US President Donald Trump has said Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to reach a settlement to end the war in Ukraine, while accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of repeatedly missing opportunities to negotiate peace.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews after returning from a campaign rally in Tennessee, Trump said Moscow was interested in an agreement but questioned Kyiv’s willingness to compromise.
“I think that Russia would like to make a deal, and we’ve had it back and forth. But Russia would like to make a deal,” Trump said.
“But as I said this is something that could have been solved many times, but for whatever reason, Zelensky does not want to make a deal,” he added.
Trump said he believed Putin was keen to end the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“President Putin would like to see a settlement strongly,” he said.
The remarks followed a telephone conversation between Trump and Putin on Friday and came amid renewed tensions between Washington and Kyiv over US moves to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports.
Trump announced on Friday that Russia would supply diesel to the United States and global markets, a move intended to ease fuel shortages and rising prices linked to the continuing conflict in Iran.
The decision drew criticism from Zelensky, who warned that allowing Russia to earn additional revenue from energy exports would strengthen Moscow’s ability to continue its military campaign.
The disagreement has added to the challenges facing US diplomatic efforts to secure an end to the war in Ukraine.
Trump also renewed his criticism of Zelensky for not holding presidential elections during the conflict.
“I think he should have an election, and he could have settled this thing many times,” Trump said.
He argued that Ukraine would have been in a stronger negotiating position if its leadership had reached an agreement two years earlier.
“I think it would have been smart if he would have made a deal two years ago. He would have been a lot better off. He would have made a much better deal two years ago,” Trump said.
The US president pointed to Russia’s numerical military advantage as he argued that Ukraine should reconsider its approach to negotiations.
However, Trump’s assessment of Putin’s intentions remains his own characterisation, and no agreement to end the fighting was announced following the latest conversation between the two leaders.
The Kremlin has also indicated that an immediate resumption of peace negotiations remains uncertain.
According to an account of Friday’s conversation attributed to Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, the Russian president did not commit to restarting talks with Ukraine.
The latest exchanges underline continuing differences between Washington and Kyiv over the conditions for ending the war, as the Trump administration pursues diplomatic engagement with Moscow while seeking to address rising global energy prices.
