Donald Trump's representatives returned from Moscow with the impression that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is determined to end the war in Ukraine. The American president stated this during a conversation with journalists in the Oval Office.
"He would like to end the war – that was their impression," Trump said, commenting on the results of his negotiators' visit to the Russian capital. The US president added that, in his opinion, Putin seeks to "return to normal life, trade with the US instead of losing thousands of soldiers weekly."
According to Trump, the Kremlin chief held "a good meeting" with Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. At the same time, the American leader cautioned against excessive optimism: "I can't tell you what will come out of this meeting because it takes two to tango."
Trump also expressed the opinion that a more favorable moment for settling the conflict was missed earlier. The president hinted at a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in late February 2025, when the issue of territories was discussed.
"When I was in this office and talked about the absence of maps – that was the best time for settlement. But they decided not to do it. Now much is against them," he noted.
At the same time, Trump emphasized that significant work had been done earlier with the Ukrainian side, and representatives of Kyiv "were satisfied" with the results of the negotiations.
