Russia, Ukraine, and diplomacy: Trump pushes for resolution Says Zelenskyy ready to negotiate

US President Donald Trump stated on January 23 that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is "ready to negotiate a deal" to end the war initiated by Russia.

"He's ready to negotiate a deal. They’d like to stop. He’s someone who has lost a lot of soldiers, and so has Russia," Trump said to reporters at the White House, Caliber.Az reports referencing foreign media.

Trump noted that Russia has suffered significant losses, claiming, "Russia lost 800,000 soldiers. Would you say that's a lot? I’d say it’s a lot."

Trump suggested that Russia might also be open to negotiations and expressed his willingness to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Putin would like to see me meet as soon as we can," Trump said, emphasizing that China’s influence over Russia could also play a role in resolving the conflict.

In a separate interview with US media, Trump expressed optimism about achieving peace through diplomacy, stating, "I hope so," when asked whether the conflict in Ukraine could be resolved diplomatically. He also criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, claiming, "This conflict should not have happened. Biden did a terrible thing in allowing this to happen."

Trump alleged that a peace settlement could have been reached early on without cost, but suggested that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy "decided he wanted to go to war."

Earlier in January, Trump indicated he might halt US arms supplies to Ukraine entirely and reiterated his readiness to meet with Putin "at any time." He also floated the possibility of imposing tougher sanctions on Russia if it refuses to negotiate a settlement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at a meeting of the Russian Security Council, reaffirmed Moscow’s openness to dialogue with the US. Putin emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes of the crisis and acknowledged Trump’s statements about restoring bilateral contacts. He also reiterated Russia’s commitment to preventing escalation into a global conflict.

Trump’s recent remarks followed his call for Russia to "settle now" and end the nearly three-year war. He warned of severe "taxes, tariffs, and sanctions" should Russia fail to reach an agreement.

The Kremlin stated that it is closely monitoring Washington’s rhetoric and remains prepared for respectful dialogue between Trump and Putin, similar to their interactions during Trump’s previous term in office.

By Tamilla Hasanova