US President Donald Trump said that he continues to believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to reach an agreement to end the war in Ukraine. The comment was made in an interview with Fox News television, quoted by Reuters, reports BTA.
In response to a question about his contacts with the Russian head of state, Trump said: “I think he is ready for a deal.“ The interview was recorded a day earlier and was broadcast today.
The statement comes at a time when diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the conflict continue, but with no visible progress towards reaching a ceasefire or peace agreement. Since the beginning of the war, the Trump administration has repeatedly stated that it is looking for opportunities to end the fighting through negotiations between Moscow and Kiev.
At the same time, information cited by Reuters casts doubt on the prospects for a quick diplomatic breakthrough. Three sources identified as close to the Kremlin claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not accepting calls to start peace talks with Ukraine and is likely to continue or even intensify military action.
So far, the Kremlin has not officially commented on these allegations. Moscow continues to state that it is ready for negotiations, but under conditions that Kiev and its Western partners define as unacceptable. For its part, Ukraine insists that any future peace agreement must be based on the restoration of its territorial integrity and respect for international law.
The discrepancy between Washington's public assessments and information coming from sources close to the Kremlin shows how complex the prospects for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict remain. Despite periodic signals of possible negotiations, hostilities continue, and the international community continues to seek ways to de-escalate.