Former U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains open to negotiating peace in the ongoing war with Ukraine, even as recent ceasefire efforts appear to have stalled.
Speaking in an interview with ABC News on Tuesday, Trump was asked whether he believes Putin truly wants peace. “I think he does,” he responded, offering a more optimistic view following earlier doubts about the Russian leader’s intentions.
Trump’s comments come just days after he questioned Putin’s sincerity following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the pope’s funeral in Rome. At the time, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform:
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas... It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along.”
While acknowledging in the interview that Putin may still harbour ambitions to take over all of Ukraine, Trump claimed his influence had prevented that from happening.
“Because of me, he’s not going to do that,” he said.
Despite Trump’s repeated pledges to end the war swiftly if re-elected, his proposed ceasefire efforts have yet to gain traction. His Secretary of State pick, Senator Marco Rubio, warned earlier on Tuesday that the U.S. could walk away from mediation unless both Kyiv and Moscow offer “concrete proposals.”
Meanwhile, Putin has proposed a limited three-day ceasefire to coincide with next week’s 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. However, he has rejected a broader, U.S.-backed call for a 30-day truce supported by Ukraine.
The conflict, now entering its third year, shows few signs of resolution as diplomatic tensions persist.