US President Donald Trump said Monday that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy want to end the war in Ukraine, expressing optimism that negotiations are making more progress than many observers realise.
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"I think we're getting much closer than people realize," Trump told reporters, "President Putin wants it to end. I will tell you that very strongly. And President Zelenskyy actually wants it to end now."
Trump said he has confidence in the diplomatic effort, adding that he believes a resolution to the conflict may be closer than is publicly understood. "Well, I think he (Putin) does feel pressure. He wants to end it, and Ukraine wants to end it, and we're in talks, and we'll see if we can get it ended," he said.
The president said Ukraine would be a key topic during upcoming discussions with NATO allies during this week's summit in Ankara.
Trump-Zelenskyy meeting
Trump will meet with Zelenskyy in Turkey this week and make a renewed push to end the war, a senior US official said. "The battlefield has clearly frozen over the last couple of months and neither side is making a lot of progress," the official said. "The president feels a real sense of urgency to try to bring this to a stop."
Trump would also urge NATO allies to increase their defence spending, the official added: "He will deliver that message in person."
Trump spoke with Putin in a lengthy call on Sunday during which the US leader offered to help find a solution to the Ukraine war, a Kremlin aide said. Zelenskyy said he had also spoken with Trump, including about the war's 1,200km frontline, and the conversation was "very good."
