Trump Hopes Putin Will Seek End to Ukraine Conflict

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he hoped Russian President Vladimir Putin would move toward ending the conflict in Ukraine, though he admitted there was a possibility that Moscow may resist any settlement.

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WASHINGTON:

Speaking on Fox News' Fox & Friends, Trump remarked, "I don't think it's going to be a problem, to be honest with you. I think Putin is tired of it. I think they're all tired of it, but you never know." He added that the coming weeks would reveal whether the Russian leader was willing to negotiate.

Trump's comments came a day after he hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders at the White House for discussions on possible peace efforts. That meeting followed his summit with Putin in Alaska last Friday, where, according to Trump, initial groundwork for further talks was laid.

“We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks … It’s possible that he doesn’t want to make a deal,” Trump said. “I hope President Putin is going to be good, and if he’s not, it’s going to be a rough situation.”

The US president also indicated that Ukraine’s leadership would need to make some adjustments in the negotiating process. “I hope that … President Zelenskyy will do what he has to do.

He has to show some flexibility also,” he stated.