Trump Says Berlin Talks Bring Russia, Ukraine Closer to Peace

Berlin, Dec 16: Expressing cautious optimism, US President Donald Trump on Monday said negotiations aimed at ending the Russia–Ukraine war were moving closer to a breakthrough following extensive talks with European leaders and Ukrainian officials in Berlin.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said he held “very long and very good talks” with a wide range of European leaders, with the conflict in Ukraine featuring prominently in the discussions. “We had a very good conversation one hour ago with the European leaders, many of them involving the war with Russia and Ukraine. We had a long discussion, and things are seemingly going well,” he said.

Trump said he spoke directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as leaders of Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Finland, Poland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, NATO and other European partners, describing the engagements as coordinated and substantive.

“We had very long and very good talks and, again, I think things are going along pretty well,” he said.

Highlighting the human cost of the conflict, Trump said the war should never have happened and stressed the urgency of ending the fighting to save lives. He added that he had also held multiple conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting that Moscow may now be more inclined toward a settlement.

“We’ve had numerous conversations with President Putin of Russia, and I think we’re closer now than we have ever been,” Trump said. “We want to save a lot of lives.”

However, the US President cautioned that progress remained fragile, noting that both sides have at times shown reluctance to finalise an agreement. “Russia wants to get it ended, and then all of a sudden they won’t. And Ukraine will want to get it ended, and all of a sudden they won’t,” he said, adding that the key challenge was bringing both parties “on the same page.”

Trump described the scale of destruction and loss of life as unprecedented in modern Europe, saying casualty figures rival those not seen since World War II. He also said European leaders were united in their desire to bring the war to an end and that cooperation with NATO partners remained strong.

Responding to further questions, Trump said he believed President Putin wanted the conflict to end and that discussions were underway with European partners on security guarantees to prevent renewed fighting. “Europe would be a big part of that,” he said.

The Russia–Ukraine war, now in its fourth year, remains the largest conflict in Europe since World War II, significantly impacting global security, energy markets and food supply chains. Diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting have intensified amid mounting battlefield losses.

India has consistently called for dialogue and diplomacy, maintaining engagement with both Moscow and Kyiv while stressing respect for sovereignty and an immediate cessation of hostilities a position New Delhi has reiterated across international forums.