Trump says solution to end Russia-Ukraine war ‘getting closer than people realize’ at meeting with Zelensky in Turkiye | Today’s news

US President Donald Trump said on Monday (local time) that a resolution to end the more than four-year-old Russia-Ukraine war is “coming closer than people realize”, adding that he will discuss the Ukraine talks this week in Turkey during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit.

Trump’s remarks come just days after he spoke with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Reuters reported. However, he gave no specific reason for his claim that a solution to end the conflict was in sight. To make matters worse, Moscow launched drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight, killing 28 people.

Read also | Russia launched its largest ever drone and rocket fire on Kiev, killing at least 27 people

Trump spoke with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts

The US president said he had a “good talk” with Putin on the Fourth of July holiday. Speaking about his conversation with Putin, Trump said: “I think we’re getting a lot closer than people realize. And President Putin wants it to end. I’ll tell you that very strongly.”

A Kremlin aide said the discussion lasted 85 minutes and included an offer by the US president to help explore ways to advance peace efforts. Describing the call, which took place on July 4, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said: “The US president reaffirmed his readiness to work towards a quick end to the fighting and to find a solution to overcome the crisis.”

Commenting on his conversation with Zelensky, Trump said: “And President Zelensky actually wants this to end now. And we’re going to go to NATO and we’re going to talk about it and I think we’re going to get it,” adding, “I think we’re going to see it through. It was a terrible situation.”

The Kremlin says the US position on ending the conflict has not changed

According to the report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he believed Washington’s position on resolving the conflict remained unchanged. Speaking to reporters, Peskov said both Putin and Trump had previously agreed to resume contacts “in the near future,” adding that Moscow believed Trump was taking a consistent position on the conflict.

Peskov went on to say, “You know, President Trump, the American president, has a fairly consistent position, and all these fabrications about him allegedly changing his views like a weathervane are, of course, false.”

Read also | Trump offers to help end war in Ukraine in 90-minute call with Putin, Kremlin says

A Kremlin spokesman went on to say: “He is consistent and confident in his understanding of what is happening, but most importantly, he (Trump) is open to listening to the information that Putin is giving him.”

Zelenskyy describes conversation with Trump as “very good”

The Ukrainian president, who is due to meet with Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara on Wednesday, described his weekend phone conversation with the US president as “very good”. In an interview with the Financial Times, Zelenskyy noted that Trump had told him that Kyiv was “doing very well” with its long-range drone campaign against Russian oil industry targets, which triggered fuel shortages in Moscow.

Asked if that was enough to sway the US president to Kiev’s side, the Ukrainian president noted that he felt the Republican leader was seeing the conflict in a new light. Zelenskyy said: “President Trump wants to be where there is success,” adding: “It has to do with many things – not just his personality, but the upcoming (US) election, his position, his belief in how to end this war.”

Russia attacked Kiev

On the night of July 5-6, Moscow launched a wave of drones and missiles aimed at Kiev. The attack came just hours after Zelenskyy warned that Russia was preparing another major attack. In a post on X, he said: “This is typical for Putin: right after America’s Independence Day and before the NATO summit in Ankara.”

Read also | Russian attack on Kiev leaves 10 dead as war casualties exceed 2 million

In a separate post, Zelenskyy wrote: “Kyiv came under a massive Russian attack last night. Russia fired 68 missiles and 351 attack drones. Response efforts are ongoing. Damage was noted in more than 10 locations across the city, including residential buildings.”

Moscow has stepped up its attacks on Kiev as Putin admits the country is going through a tough time.

The focus will now be on Trump’s meeting with Zelensky in Ankara and whether the American president will finally be able to fulfill his claim of ending the four-year war.

Key things

• Trump’s optimism about resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict depends on his discussions with both Zelensky and Putin.
• Despite the ongoing attacks on Kyiv, diplomatic efforts continue to find a solution.
• The timing of Trump’s NATO meeting with Zelensky coincides with Russia’s escalated military actions, underscoring the fragile situation.