Ukraine’s Zelenskyy open to negotiations, Russia’s Putin holds back, Trump says

Politico reported the information.

U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed willingness to negotiate a peace agreement, though he is uncertain if Russian leader Vladimir Putin shares the same interest. Speaking from the Oval Office on the first day of his second term, Trump remarked, “Zelenskyy told me he’s ready for a deal, but I’m not sure if Putin is. He should be — Russia is suffering because of this war.”

Trump highlighted Russia’s ongoing struggles nearly three years into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, pointing to economic turmoil and high inflation in the country. He argued that Putin’s prolonged war was damaging Russia’s standing and resources.

The U.S. president also addressed his earlier promises to resolve the war quickly, joking, “I still have half the day left,” before reiterating his desire to see the war end soon.

Trump criticized Putin’s inability to achieve quick success in Ukraine, stating, “He’s dragging it out. Most people thought this would be over in a week, but now we’re in the third year. It’s not reflecting well on him.”

Citing unverified figures, Trump claimed nearly a million Russian soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in the war. However, Ukraine disputes Trump’s totals, reporting approximately 43,000 combat deaths on their side, with significantly higher casualty estimates for Russia.