Trump Calls for an End to War After Positive Meeting with Zelenskyy

US President Donald Trump recently stated that he had a productive meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump's message to Russian President Vladimir Putin is clear: the ongoing war must come to an end. Before departing Davos, Trump mentioned that a US delegation would meet with Putin soon.

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Trump expressed optimism about reaching a peace agreement to halt the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He acknowledged that while he initially thought resolving the issue would be straightforward, it has proven more challenging. "The war has to end," Trump emphasised, highlighting the significant loss of life, with around 30,000 casualties reported last month alone.

Meeting Outcomes and Future Plans

Zelenskyy also described his meeting with Trump as positive and beneficial for Ukraine. "As any President, I have to defend the interest of my country and such meetings are generally difficult. But, yes, today it was positive," Zelenskyy remarked after his address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting.

The US delegation plans to meet separately with both Ukrainian and Russian teams. A trilateral meeting involving representatives from the US, Russia, and Ukraine is anticipated in the UAE on Friday or Saturday. This meeting aims to further discussions on ending the conflict.

Efforts Towards Peace

Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow soon to engage in talks with Putin about strategies to conclude the war. Trump has been actively working to persuade both Zelenskyy and Putin to agree on terms that would end their nearly four-year-long conflict.

During his speech at the WEF, Trump mentioned his belief that both leaders should seize this opportunity to resolve their differences. "Putin and Zelenskyy would be stupid if they don't end it now, and that he knows they are not stupid," he stated.

Challenges in Reaching an Agreement

Despite efforts, reaching a consensus has been challenging due to deep-seated animosity between Zelenskyy and Putin. "With Ukraine and Russia, this tremendous hatred between President Zelensky and President Putin. That's not good," Trump noted. He stressed the importance of ending the bloodshed caused by drones killing thousands weekly.

Zelenskyy previously indicated that his envoys would work on finalising documents with US officials related to postwar security guarantees and economic recovery as part of a proposed peace settlement.

Trump highlighted past instances where agreements with Russia were close but ultimately fell through due to disagreements from Zelenskyy. "Many times we had a deal with Russia, and Zelenskyy didn't agree... It's a very difficult balance," he explained.

The urgency of resolving this conflict is underscored by Trump's assertion that failing to do so would be disgraceful. He remains committed to facilitating peace talks despite the complexities involved.

With inputs from PTI