U.S. President Donald Trump told CBS News that he remains committed to pursuing a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, despite growing uncertainty about the possibility of a direct meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump described his stance as realistic and optimistic, and said he is closely watching how both leaders handle the current situation. “I’ve been watching, I’ve been watching, and I’ve been talking to President Putin and President Zelensky. Something’s going to happen, but they’re not ready yet. But something’s going to happen, we’re going to get it done,” he said in a telephone interview.
The comments came as Russia continues to carry out attacks on Ukrainian territory. Late last month, a massive drone and missile attack on kyiv killed at least 15 people, including four children, according to local authorities.
Trump expressed his displeasure with the violence, though he insisted he will maintain pressure for a deal."I think we're going to get it all sorted out," he said. He added,"Frankly, I thought the Russia one would have been one of the easier ones I've stopped, but it looks to be a little bit harder than some of the others."
That same Wednesday, the president told reporters that he was watching the military parade in Beijing, where Putin met with the leaders of China and North Korea. “I understand why they were doing it, and they expected me to be watching, and I was. My relationship with all of them is very good. We’ll find out how good it is in a week or two,” he said.
Trump also explained to CBS News that his approach to international negotiations is to bring leaders together in a room and broker agreements in real time, under his guidance. “Fortunately, we’ve had some very good days, and once I get them in a room, or at least get them talking, it seems to work out. We’ve saved millions of lives,” he noted.
Last month, ahead of his meeting with Putin in Alaska, Trump said his priority was to prepare the ground for an upcoming meeting: “All I want to do is prepare the ground for the next meeting, which should take place shortly.”
Beyond the conflict in Ukraine, Trump called for recognition for his role in six or seven international peace processes and argued that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. According to the White House, the president referred to disputes in Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Thailand and Cambodia, India and Pakistan, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Serbia and Kosovo.
Some analysts criticized these claims, noting that many of the conflicts mentioned remain unresolved or are not considered large-scale wars. Trump's allies, however, argued that White House mediation was key to advancing the talks.
Trump insisted that his role is to facilitate direct encounters. “A lot of times, they fight for so long, they don’t even think about peace. It just becomes a way of life. And when I get them in the room, I can convince them, ‘Come on. Let’s make peace. Enough is enough. They’ve lost enough lives,’” he said.
The US president said he wasn't seeking the international award."I have nothing to say about it. All I can do is start wars," he told CBS News. He added:"I'm not looking for attention. I just want to save lives."
