Trump says Putin wants Ukraine peace deal

US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin was keen to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war, while accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of rejecting peace opportunities. Disagreements over Russian diesel exports have further complicated Washington-Kyiv relations 

Washington: US President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was keen 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 reaching 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.

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“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 interested in ending 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 president’s remarks followed his telephone conversation with Putin on Friday and came amid renewed tensions between Washington and Kyiv over American moves to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports. Trump announced 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 another complication to American diplomatic efforts to secure an end to the Ukraine war. 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 had its leadership 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 president pointed to Russia’s numerical military advantage while arguing that Ukraine should reconsider its approach to negotiations. However, Trump’s assessment of Putin’s intentions remains his own characterisation. 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 underscore the continuing differences between Washington and Kyiv over the conditions for ending the war, particularly as the Trump administration pursues diplomatic engagement with Moscow alongside efforts to address rising global energy prices.