Trump Says Russia, Ukraine Want Peace Deal Claims Talks ‘Reasonably Close’

US, Jan 22 : President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that both Russia and Ukraine want to reach a settlement to end the ongoing war, claiming that efforts to broker an agreement were “reasonably close,” despite what he described as deep hostility between the leadership of the two countries.

Trump made the remarks while addressing the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, where he spoke at length about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, NATO, and the role of the United States in the war.

Referring to the animosity between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said the conflict could still be resolved despite the “abnormal hatred” between the two leaders.

“I think Russia wants to make a deal. I think Ukraine wants to make a deal and we’re going to try getting a deal done. We’re reasonably close,” Trump said, adding that such hostility was not conducive to peace negotiations.

Trump also claimed he had previously helped settle multiple international conflicts, asserting that the United Nations should have taken the lead in resolving the Russia-Ukraine war. He argued that despite challenges, efforts to broker a deal could save millions of lives.

Meanwhile, Trump sought to downplay Washington’s role in the Ukraine conflict, describing it as primarily Europe’s responsibility. Speaking about NATO, he said the alliance treated the United States “very unfairly” and questioned the benefits Washington had derived from its involvement in the war.

The US president reiterated his claim that the conflict would not have occurred had he been in office at the time. He also repeated his assertion that the 2020 US presidential election was “rigged.”

Questioning continued American involvement, Trump asked what the United States had gained from its efforts, saying the country had received “death, destruction, and massive amounts of cash going to people who don’t appreciate what we do.”