BURSTPresident Trump has said he believes Russia wants a close to its war with Ukraine, but that Moscow “could be” dragging its feet on a deal to that end.
"I don’t know. I mean, I'll let you know at a certain point, but I think that Russia wants to see an end to it, but it could be they’re dragging their feet,” Trump said Tuesday in an interview with Newsmax when asked about the possibility of Russia's hesitance.
“I’ve done it over the years, you know, I don’t want to sign a contract, I want to sort of stay in the game, but maybe I don’t wanna do it, quite, I’m not sure," he continued. "But no, I think Russia would like to see an end, and I think [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky would like to see an end at this point."
Trump’s comments come shortly after the White House announced on Tuesday that Kyiv and Moscow would “eliminate the use of force” in the Black Sea, as well as end strikes on energy facilities. The agreements followed days of talks with U.S., Ukrainian and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia.
But earlier Tuesday, Russian officials said there was no deal yet for a broader ceasefire after President Vladimir Putin declined a U.S. proposal, backed by Ukraine, for a 30-day end to fighting.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has already warned that the Kremlin is manipulating the limited truce, which he said went into effect immediately, Reuters reported.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Trump vowed to end during his time on the campaign trail, has now pressed into its third year.
"It's a bloody war," Trump said on Newsmax. "I just want to see it stop."