Trump says Putin ‘tired' of war, but possible he doesn't want to make a deal
'I don't think it's going to be a problem, to be honest with you. I think Putin is tired of it. I think they're all tired of it, but you never know,' Trump said in an interview with the Fox News 'Fox & Friends' program.
Trump spoke the day after hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders at the White House for talks on his peace efforts, a meeting that followed his summit with Putin in Alaska last Friday.
'We're going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks … It's possible that he doesn't want to make a deal,' Trump said, adding that Putin faced a 'rough situation' if that were not the case.
US would help assure Ukraine's security in a peace deal, Trump tells Zelenskiyy
After Monday's talks, Trump had said that he had called Putin to help set up a one-on-one meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy that would be followed by a trilateral meeting to include himself.
Trump said in the Fox News interview he thought relations between Putin and Zelenskiy might be 'a little bit better' or else he would not have pursued their one-on-one meeting.
He also cited his own warm relationship with Putin even as he acknowledged the potential for a deal to fall through.
'I hope President Putin is going to be good, and if he's not, it's going to be a rough situation. And I hope that…President Zelenskiy will do what he has to do. He has to show some flexibility also,' Trump said.
On security guarantees for Ukraine that Kyiv and its allies are seeking as part of any peace settlement, Trump said that while Europe was willing to commit troops in some form, the United States would not, although it could provide other assistance.
'There'll be some form of security. It can't be NATO,' he said. 'They're willing to put people on the ground. We're willing to help them with things, especially, probably, if you could talk about by air.'
Asked what assurances he could give that the U.S. troops would not be on the ground defending Ukraine's border, he said: 'You have my assurance. You know, I'm president.'
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Trump hopes for end to Ukraine war but admits Putin might reject any proposal
A Ukrainian emergency responder works to extinguish a fire at the site of a missile attack in Sumy on April 13, 2025. PHOTO: Ukrainian Emergency Service via AFP US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he hoped Russia's Vladimir Putin would move forward on ending the war in Ukraine but conceded that the Kremlin leader may not want to make a deal at all, adding this would create a "rough situation" for Putin. In an interview with the Fox News "Fox & Friends" programme, Trump said he believed Putin's course of action would become clear in the next couple of weeks. Trump again ruled out American troops on the ground in Ukraine and gave no specifics about the security guarantees he has previously said Washington could offer Kyiv under any post-war settlement. "I don't think it's going to be a problem (reaching a peace deal), to be honest with you. I think Putin is tired of it. I think they're all tired of it, but you never know," Trump said. Read More: Europe seeks clarity as Trump promises security guarantees for Ukraine "We're going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks ... It's possible that he doesn't want to make a deal," said Trump, who has previously threatened more sanctions on Russia and nations that buy its oil if Putin does not make peace. Ukraine and its European allies have been buoyed by Trump's promise of security guarantees to help end the war during an extraordinary summit on Monday but face many unanswered questions, including how willing Russia will be to play ball. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the talks at the White House as a "major step forward" towards ending Europe's deadliest conflict in 80 years and setting up a trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump in the coming weeks. Zelenskiy was flanked by the leaders of allies including Germany, France and Britain at the summit. 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