Trump Says Ukraine Peace Deal Closer Than It Appears After Calls With Putin and Zelensky

U.S. President Donald Trump said after separate telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he believes "something has to happen" in efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. He made the remarks during a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Benjamin D Applebaum, https://creativecommons.org/public-domain/pdm/

Trump, Putin Alaska Arrival (9260677)

Trump Expresses Optimism After Talks With Putin and Zelensky

Peace in Ukraine may appear unlikely, but it is often at moments like these that conflicts are resolved, Trump said during his meeting with Erdoğan.

"It doesn't seem likely now, but sometimes with war... when it's least likely that's when it happens. I had a very good talk with President Putin... I would say as a combination, a lot of times I'd do well with Putin, And Zelenskyy would be a problem or vice versa. ... They both want to get it settled now. That's all I do in my life is deals. I know deals," the U.S. president said.

Ukraine Expected to Be Key Topic at Trump-Erdoğan Meeting

Earlier, the Turkish newspaper Milliyet reported that the resumption of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations would be one of the main topics during the bilateral meeting between Trump and Erdoğan in Ankara.

The Telegraph reported that NATO leaders had pushed the issue of Ukraine and President Zelensky into the background ahead of the upcoming summit in Ankara out of concern that it could upset Trump. According to the newspaper, Zelensky is not expected to deliver a speech in the Turkish capital.

Russia Reiterates Its Position on Future Negotiations

Russian officials have repeatedly stated that they remain open to negotiations with Ukraine and Europe. President Vladimir Putin has described the agreements reached during talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul as the foundation for future dialogue.

Putin has also said that Kyiv carries out strikes on civilian targets in Russia in an attempt to create the impression of holding "strong positions" ahead of renewed negotiations.

In 2022, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators drafted and initialed a proposed Treaty on the Permanent Neutrality and Security Guarantees of Ukraine following talks held in Istanbul. As Putin stated in 2023, the document included provisions on Ukraine's neutrality and security guarantees. However, according to the Russian president, Ukraine "threw it into the dustbin of history" after Russian forces withdrew from the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.