Trump Says Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Show Progress but Remain Challenging

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday night that Ukraine and Russia are making progress toward a peace agreement, though he acknowledged the conflict remains one of the more difficult to resolve. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump described the talks as “good” and noted that Ukraine is “doing well” and appears “pretty happy” with the developments.

Trump revealed that U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will soon engage in talks in Moscow, potentially accompanied by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The president emphasized the complexity of the situation, citing the deep-seated animosity involved. “We settled eight wars, and I thought this would be one of the easier ones because of my relationship with President Putin, but this is probably one of the more difficult ones. There’s a lot of hatred,” he said.

He also pointed to Europe’s role in providing security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent further aggression from Russia. Trump downplayed a previously presented 28-point peace plan, calling it “just a map” and a “concept” rather than a formal plan. He said many of the points have been addressed favorably as negotiations continue.

Regarding a timeline, Trump stated he does not have a deadline for concluding the talks, saying, “The deadline for me is when it’s over. I think everybody’s tired of fighting.”

The comments come amid ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, with U.S. officials actively involved in diplomatic discussions. The situation remains fluid, and the outcome of the peace talks has yet to be determined.