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US President Donald Trump stated that a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv is "much closer than many think." He asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the war in Ukraine, despite new massive strikes by Russian troops on Ukrainian cities.
Answering questions from reporters during a press conference at the White House on Monday, July 6, Trump referred to his recent phone conversation with Vladimir Putin.
The American president stated that this conversation gave him reason for hope. He said he was counting on progress in efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
"President Putin wants this to end. I can tell you that absolutely definitively," Trump said.
He added that a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv is "much closer than many think." According to the US president, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy also wants the war to end.
Trump said he intends to discuss ending the war in Ukraine at the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.
According to Reuters, citing a senior US administration official, Trump plans to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the summit on Wednesday. Following this meeting, the American president intends to contact Vladimir Putin.
FT: Russia may not enter peace talks until 2027
Meanwhile, according to sources in Moscow for the Financial Times, Russia is unlikely to participate in meaningful negotiations to end the war in Ukraine until February 2027.
The publication's sources, who are in contact with the Russian president, link the possible timeframe to Vladimir Putin's order to seize the remaining part of the Donetsk region by the end of 2026.
According to the Financial Times, during previous peace talks, the Russian delegation conveyed to American mediators the position that the US should seek Ukraine's agreement to make significant concessions.
High-ranking Ukrainian officials told the newspaper this. They believe that resuming trilateral negotiations with the US before the end of the summer is unlikely.
A Financial Times source in Moscow also claims that the Kremlin expects concessions from Kyiv.
"The Russians' preferred option for now remains the scenario in which the Americans 'hand over' Ukraine to them. They're not hinting at any concessions. They keep repeating the same goals. Their negotiating position effectively means there's no basis for negotiations," the newspaper notes.
