President Donald Trump stated Wednesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is prepared to see the war with Russia come to an end. Speaking during a press conference at the NATO Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Trump described Zelensky as “very nice” and emphasized that both leaders expressed interest in resolving the conflict.
“He couldn’t have been nicer. I think he’d like to see an end to this, I do,” Trump said. “What I took from the meeting — couldn’t have been nicer, actually — but I took from the meeting he’d like to see it end.”
Trump signaled his intent to engage directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a potential end to the war. “I think it’s a great time to end it. I’m going to speak to Vladimir Putin to see if we can get it ended,” he added.
The meeting between Trump and Zelensky was described by the Ukrainian leader as “long and substantive,” where both leaders discussed ceasefire conditions and peace prospects. Zelensky later posted on X that they “spoke about how to protect our people” and appreciated Trump’s “readiness to help bring peace closer.”
This marks the second meeting between Trump and Zelensky since Trump returned to office. The two previously met in April during Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome. Their interactions have improved significantly from the strained Oval Office encounter in February.
Trump noted that approximately 7,000 soldiers from both sides were killed last week, underscoring the urgent need for resolution. He also commented on Putin’s stance, suggesting the Russian leader has been “misguided” in negotiations.
“I consider him a person that’s, I think, been misguided. I’m very surprised, actually. I thought we would have had that settled easy,” Trump said. He added that Putin expressed interest in facilitating a settlement but Trump insisted on focusing first on ending Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
Trump reiterated his record of securing ceasefires and suggested optimism about his role in brokering peace between the two nations.
