Something will happen, Putin and Zelenskyy not ready for talks - Trump
US President Donald Trump has said he is continuing to work towards a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, despite the difficulties and uncertainty surrounding direct talks between Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he said in an interview with CBS News.
"I've been watching it, I've been seeing it, and I've been talking about it with President Putin and President Zelenskyy," Mr. Trump said in a phone interview. "Something is going to happen, but they are not ready yet. But something is going to happen. We are going to get it done."
Trump also explained that his approach to diplomatic negotiations involves getting key leaders together in one room to reach agreements in real time, often with his mediation.
"Often they've been at war with each other for so long that they don't even think about peace. It becomes a way of life. And when I get them together, I can convince them, 'Come on. Let's make peace. Enough is enough. You've lost enough lives,'" Trump said.
"I think we're going to get it all straightened out," he said.
"Frankly, the Russia one, I thought, would have been on the easier side of the ones I've stopped, but it seems to be something that's a little bit more difficult than some of the others," he said.
Asked if he sometimes has to wait, Trump said: "We've had some very good days, fortunately, and when I get them in a room together or at least get them talking, it usually works. We've saved millions of lives."
Trump expressed concern about the civilian casualties from the conflict, but said he would continue to push for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. "I think we'll get it done," the US president said. He added that he thought the Russian side should have been easier to resolve than other conflicts, but it turned out to be a little more difficult.