Trump claims Ukraine peace deal near amid envoy’s Kremlin talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has met Donald Trump's envoy for talks about ending the Ukraine war. Photo / Getty Images

• Donald Trump claimed a peace deal to end the Ukraine war was “pretty close” after his envoy met Vladimir Putin.
• Trump’s proposal faces challenges, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejecting the demand that “Crimea will stay with Russia”.
• Talks continue amid ongoing attacks, with Trump emphasising the urgency to save “5000 young Ukrainian and Russian men” weekly.

Donald Trump said a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine was “pretty close” as his envoy met with Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, at the Kremlin on Friday (local time).

The US President said negotiations involving title="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/moscow/">Moscow and Kyiv were “coming along”, but described talks as “very fragile”.

His comments came after a car bomb in Moscow killed a leading Russian general. The Kremlin blamed Ukraine for the attack on 59-year-old Yaroslav Moskalik. Kyiv has yet to comment.

Trump has been desperate to get Russia and Ukraine to agree to a peace deal and deliver on his promise to end the war.

However, both sides have continued their attacks amid disagreements over his proposed peace deal terms.

‘Crimea will stay with Russia’

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s President, said he would not agree to Trump’s demand that “Crimea will stay with Russia”.

Zelenskyy said the territory, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, belongs to Ukraine and that his position had not changed. His comments will probably frustrate the US President, who has said he wants to bring about a deal “as fast as possible”.

Trump said the US wanted to save “5000 young Ukrainian and Russian men” weekly by ending the conflict, saying it would be a “big honour”.

He added: “I think we’re pretty close. No deadline. I just want to do it as fast as possible.”

It is the second time this week that Trump has said a peace deal is “very close” and came as Steve Witkoff, a White House envoy, was greeted by Putin with open arms at the Kremlin.

Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin spokesman, said they discussed the possibility of reviving direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, and described the talks as “constructive”.

Witkoff met with the Russian leader for three hours, the spokesman added.

The meeting took place a day after a Russian strike killed 12 people in Kyiv.