Trump says Putin wants to make a deal in Ukraine - Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to make a deal to end Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

Trump made the comment after a telephone conversation with Putin earlier in the week, describing the discussion as “great.” He added that a deal would be “very nice” if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also wants one.

The president said the main obstacle to a settlement is the mutual animosity between the two leaders, stating, “the holdup is two people who hate each other.”

Trump’s remarks followed a diplomatic swing by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner, who returned from visits to Moscow and Kyiv where they discussed possible proposals to bring the war to a close.

In a related effort, CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with intelligence officials in Moscow last month, seeking to encourage Russian officials to end the invasion.

Intelligence agencies in the United States, Ukraine and across Europe, however, continue to doubt that President Putin is seriously interested in ending the conflict, which is now in its fourth year.