Trump says Russia-Ukraine peace deal ‘very close’ despite Zelenskyy-Putin hostility | World News

US President Donald Trump said a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war could be “very close” while acknowledging that deep personal hostility between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to complicate negotiations.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump said relations between the two leaders remain tense. “Zelenskyy and Putin hate each other, and it makes it very difficult,” he said, adding, “But I think we’re getting very close to getting a settlement. I think that we have a good chance of getting it settled.”

Trump announced that he recently met directly with Putin and requested a temporary halt to attacks on Kiev and other cities, citing severe winter conditions in the region.

“I personally asked President Putin not to open fire on Kiev and various towns for a week, and he agreed to do so,” Trump said at the cabinet meeting. He described the change as positive and noted that some had advised against making that call. “A lot of people say, ‘Don’t waste the search, you won’t get this.’ he said. And he did it.”

The US President said his request was due to extreme weather conditions affecting both Ukraine and Russia. “It’s extraordinarily cold. It’s record-breaking cold,” he said, comparing the conditions to a recent cold spell in Washington.

Despite these statements, clashes continued. Three people were killed in an overnight Russian drone strike in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian officials said on Thursday. Zelenskyy also warned that Russia may be preparing for another large-scale attack.

The developments come ahead of US-brokered peace talks expected to be held at the weekend.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin has officially invited Zelenskyy to Moscow for talks aimed at ending the nearly four-year conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Moscow was being considered as the location for the talks.

The offer came after the first trilateral meeting attended by Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi last week. Speaking to Russian news agency TASS, Peskov said Moscow was ready to host further negotiations.

For the second day in a row, senior Kremlin officials signaled that Zelenskyy would be welcome in the Russian capital. Deputy President Yuri Ushakov said Russia would guarantee Zelenskyy’s safety and make all necessary arrangements if he agreed to participate, Russia Today reported.

(with ANI entries)