U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to negotiate an end to the war, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remains determined to continue the fight.
Speaking to journalists outside the White House before departing for Florida, Trump emphasized his stance on achieving peace in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“I want immediate peace. President Putin will want to make a deal, and he wants to – he wants to put an end to this. You saw what I saw today: this [Zelensky] is a man who wants to force us to sign up and keep fighting. We’re not going to do that,” Trump stated.
The former president also criticized Zelensky’s approach during their recent meeting at the White House, saying the Ukrainian leader “overstepped” in the Oval Office.
“We are looking for peace. We’re not looking for someone who will sign an agreement with a strong state and then refuse to make peace because they feel confident,” Trump said.
He reiterated his position on U.S. involvement in the war, adding, “We’re not going to keep fighting; we’re going to end the war or let them go and see what happens—let them fight on their own.”
Trump also repeated a remark he previously made in a confrontation with Zelensky, asserting that the Ukrainian leader “has no cards in his hand.”
