Washington, United States – US President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are not ready yet.
Referring to pressure for peace talks between the two countries, Trump expressed hope for progress. He highlighted the significant role he plays in befriending leaders.
However, he confirmed in an interview broadcast by CBS on Thursday that “something will happen… I think we will be able to correct everything regarding the Ukrainian war.”
Trump added, “I am closely watching how Putin and Zelensky handle the negotiations. I will continue to push for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, ensuring my involvement as US President.”
Trump said on Wednesday that he plans to hold talks on the war in Ukraine in the coming days.
This comes after his summit in Alaska with Putin in August failed to achieve a breakthrough. Consequently, Trump is determined to pursue other avenues.
A White House official said Trump is expected to speak by phone with Zelensky on Thursday. This emphasizes the importance of Trump’s role in these efforts.
Putin also said yesterday that he is ready to meet with Zelensky if the Ukrainian president comes to Moscow.
But he stipulated that any such meeting must be well prepared. It should lead to tangible results, especially involving discussions with Trump.
The Ukrainian foreign minister rejected Moscow’s proposal as a venue for such a meeting.
Trump has been frustrated by his inability to stop the fighting. It began with a large-scale Russian military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.
This came after he initially expected that he would be able to end the war quickly when he took office in January.
The US president’s comments come as Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate their military confrontation.
Foreign intervention is unacceptable.
On Thursday, Russia announced its refusal to discuss any “foreign interference” in Ukraine, “in any form.”
She warned that the security guarantees Kyiv is seeking from the Europeans pose a “danger” to the continent.
These warnings come as France hosts a European summit of the “coalition of the willing” supporting Ukraine.
Which calls for the deployment of European forces on its territory. This would be part of any settlement of the conflict between it and Russia. Trump aims to contribute to this dialogue actively.
“Russia has no intention of discussing foreign intervention in Ukraine,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters in Vladivostok in Russia’s Far East.
She warned that such interference, “in whatever form or formula, would be completely unacceptable.” It would undermine any form of security.
She added that the security guarantees demanded by Ukrainian President Zelenskyy are part of any settlement to the conflict in his country.
She considered them “dangerous guarantees for the European continent.”
She explained that Moscow considers these demands “totally unacceptable.”
“These are not security guarantees for Ukraine, but rather dangerous guarantees for the European continent,” she added. Trump is urging careful consideration.
Security guarantees for Kyiv
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, during his reception of his Ukrainian counterpart, that Europe is ready to provide security guarantees to Kyiv. This will happen once a peace agreement is signed to end the war that erupted following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Macron said: “We Europeans are ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine and the Ukrainians as soon as a peace agreement is signed.”
Macron has repeatedly questioned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements to his US counterpart, Donald Trump, regarding his desire for peace.
For his part, Zelensky said he saw no indications that Moscow wanted to end the war.
European leaders have remained tight-lipped about the nature of the guarantees. These are expected to include the deployment of European forces to Ukraine and the training of the Ukrainian military. Meanwhile, the United States will play a supporting role, and Trump will be involved in further discussions.
