Former U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Russia and Ukraine are very close to signing a peace agreement. His remarks came just hours after his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday.
“It was a good day for talks,” Trump said. The Kremlin also described the meeting as “constructive,” though no Ukrainian representatives were present during the discussions.
Earlier on social media, Trump stated that most of the key points in the proposed deal had been agreed upon. He urged both Russia and Ukraine to hold a high-level meeting and move forward with signing a peace agreement.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a video message, emphasized the need for increased pressure on Russia to accept an unconditional ceasefire. In an interview with the BBC, he stated that discussions on territorial matters with Moscow could take place only if Russia agrees to a full and unconditional ceasefire.
Reports suggest that under a U.S.-backed peace proposal, Russia may return control of some occupied territories to Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters in Rome, where he arrived to attend Pope Francis’s funeral, Trump reiterated his support for continued Russian control over Crimea—a region Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Zelensky strongly rejected Trump’s stance on Crimea.
Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, it has seized control of around 20% of Ukrainian territory.
To help end the conflict, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff visited Russia for the fourth time this year. After a three-hour meeting, Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov described the talks as “productive,” adding that the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian officials was a key topic of discussion.
