US President Donald Trump predicted a ceasefire in Ukraine in the "not too distant future," adding Wednesday that the country -- which is fighting off a Russian invasion -- needs fresh elections "at some point."
Trump was speaking to reporters at the White House hours after revealing that he had spoken to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and that the two had agreed to immediately start Ukraine peace talks, sparking concerns Kyiv and President Volodymyr Zelensky could be frozen out of the process
Talking about his conversations with the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine, the US President said, “I think we're on the way to getting peace. I think President Putin wants peace and President Zelinsky wants peace, and I want peace. I just want to see people stop getting killed.”
He also added, “President Putin said that he wants it to end. He doesn't want to end it and then go back to fighting six months later. We talked about the possibility. I mentioned it of a ceasefire so we can stop the killing, and I think we'll probably end up at some point getting a ceasefire in the not too distant future.”
The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2022 with a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. This conflict, the largest in Europe since World War II, followed Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity and Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Resulting in a significant refugee crisis and numerous casualties, the war has drawn international condemnation and sanctions against Russia. Ukraine's military has resisted Russian advances, while Russia has focused attacks on eastern and southern Ukraine. The conflict includes ground invasions, missile strikes, and cyber warfare, significantly impacting global politics and security.
