US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he believed talks about ending Russia’s war in Ukraine were in “the final stages” as he headed into a meeting in Florida with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Trump’s comments followed an earlier phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who Trump said is “very serious” about ending the war.
He described the call as “good and very productive”, according to the Irish Times.
“I’m also calling President Putin back after the meeting, and we’ll continue with negotiations,” Trump said.
Mr Zelenskiy has said that ultimately securing peace would depend on Ukraine’s partners. He and Mr Trump are meeting to plan how to bring the war in Ukraine to an end – but they face major differences on crucial issues.
“These are some of the most active diplomatic days of the year, and much can be resolved before the new year, and we are doing everything for this, but whether there will be decisions depends on the partners,” Mr Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram app in comments before the talks in Florida.
He said that Ukraine’s partners should increase pressure on Moscow “so that the Russians feel the consequences of their own aggression”.