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US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine could be closer than at any previous point in the conflict, expressing renewed optimism after his latest conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump also thanked Putin for securing the release of a detained American, describing the development as a positive step amid continuing efforts to resolve the war.
“The other day I was talking to Vladimir Putin about settling his war with Ukraine, which I think we’re getting closer to, by the way — maybe now the closest we’ve been,” Trump said.
Trump has repeatedly expressed confidence that he could bring the conflict to an end through negotiations. However, previous diplomatic initiatives, several rounds of talks and a summit with Putin in Alaska last year have failed to produce a peace agreement.
The war has continued as Moscow maintains demands that Kyiv and its Western allies have found difficult to accept, leaving major obstacles to a negotiated settlement.
Trump’s latest remarks suggest that diplomatic engagement between Washington and Moscow is continuing, although he did not provide details of any breakthrough in negotiations or specify what concessions either side might be prepared to make.
Efforts to end the war have been complicated by disagreements over territory, security guarantees for Ukraine and the future relationship between Kyiv and Moscow. Russia has sought to secure its territorial and strategic objectives, while Ukraine has insisted that any settlement must protect its sovereignty and long-term security.
The United States has sought to use diplomatic pressure and direct engagement with the two sides to bring the conflict to an end. Trump has made ending the war a key foreign policy priority, arguing that a negotiated settlement could prevent further loss of life and reduce the wider economic and security consequences of the conflict.
Despite Trump’s optimism, the lack of a concrete agreement and the persistence of opposing demands mean that significant challenges remain before a lasting peace can be achieved.
His latest comments did not establish a timetable for ending the war, and it remained unclear whether the recent discussions with Putin had produced any specific commitments toward a ceasefire or a broader peace deal.
