US President Donald Trump has disclosed that he has already had one or multiple phone calls with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the conflict in Ukraine. According to Trump, Putin "wants to see people stop dying."
"People are losing their lives daily, and this conflict in Ukraine is reaching catastrophic levels. I desperately wish for an end to this war," Trump said on board Air Force One on Friday.
The US president stated that he would not disclose how often he has communicated with Putin, but emphasized that their relationship is "good".
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he "can neither confirm nor deny" there have been talks between Trump and Putin.
"Communication on several fronts takes place concurrently," he noted.
Prior to taking office, Trump stated that he would bring an end to the war within a 24-hour period once he was elected president.
What are the chances that negotiations will bring an end to the war in Ukraine?
Although Trump has stated that he wishes to initiate talks on Ukraine, it remains uncertain if Putin actually intends to engage in such discussions.
Approximately three years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Putin is now further than ever in realising his aims within the war-torn country, and possessing a minimal motivation to engage in negotiations, regardless of how many appeals or warnings he might be subject to from Trump, as per evaluations by Russian and Western experts in statements to AP.
Both Putin and Trump have hinted at some earlier discussions on Ukraine.
President Putin described President Trump as "clever and pragmatic," and seemingly echoed his false assertions of having won the 2020 election. The US president initially labelled Putin as "smart" and threatened to impose sanctions on Russia, reducing the price of oil, with the Kremlin dismissing these warnings.
President Trump stated that Washington may be in negotiations with Russia regarding Ukraine without Kyiv's participation, indicating that his administration has already had "very serious" discussions to bring an end to the conflict.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Putin wants to deal directly with Trump, bypassing Kyiv. This approach contradicts the Biden administration's position, which echoes Zelenskyy's statement that “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.”
We cannot let someone decide something for us," Zelenskyy said to AP, stating that Russia seeks the "destruction of Ukrainian freedom and independence.
He implied that any such peace deal would convey the risky message that adventurism is rewarded to authoritarian leaders in China, North Korea, and Iran.
According to Sir Kim Darroch, British ambassador to the US from 2016-19, history "won't be kind" to Trump if he were to relinquish this in a means to be seen as a peacemaker.
"Lack of collaboration is not the same as reluctant compromise," opined Sir Laurie Bristow, the former UK ambassador to Russia.