Trump Signals Readiness for Ukraine Peace Talks, Downplays 24-Hour War Resolution Pledge

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday  that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine were underway, emphasizing his commitment to resolving the conflict but acknowledging the challenges in doing so.

“We are talking, and I think we may be able to do something truly significant. We want to put an end to this war, which would have never started if I were president. We want to stop it because it is a terrible war,” Trump said.

The president highlighted the human toll of the conflict, stating that millions of young soldiers have died on the front lines. He also pointed to the large-scale destruction of cities due to ongoing hostilities.

“Many cities are heavily damaged—they look like demolition sites. Meanwhile, soldiers are simply shooting at each other. This is very flat terrain, and the only thing that stops a bullet is a human body, soldiers from both armies,” he said.

Trump estimated that Russia had lost around 800,000 troops, while Ukraine had suffered losses of between 600,000 and 700,000. Calling the war a “senseless situation,” he reiterated the need for a diplomatic resolution.

“Given these facts, I am ready to do everything possible to stop this. And I am already engaged in talks to end this war. I won’t reveal the details, but we are conducting very serious negotiations with Russia to bring this conflict to an end,” Trump stated.

During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly claimed he could end the war “within 24 hours with a single call to Putin” or at most “within 100 days.” However, since taking office, his administration has adopted a more pragmatic peace-brokering approach.

Signals of readiness for negotiations have emerged from both Washington and Moscow. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated that the war must conclude through negotiations and suggested that both Ukraine and Russia would need to make concessions.

At the same time, Trump has avoided reiterating his 24-hour resolution pledge, hinting that bringing hostilities to an end has proven more complex than previously anticipated.