Trump says Putin 'wants to stop fighting' in Ukraine

President Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin “wants to stop fighting” and shot down a suggestion that Putin’s ambitions could extend beyond Ukraine’s borders.

“I think he wants to stop fighting. I see that. We spoke long and hard. [Middle East envoy] Steve Witkoff was with him for a very extended period, like about three hours. I think he wants to stop fighting,” Trump told reporters on Sunday when asked what he thinks Putin wants.

“They have a big, powerful machine. You understand that,” Trump continued. “And they defeated Hitler and they defeated Napoleon. You know, they've been fighting a long time. They've done it before … but I think he would like to stop fighting.”

The remarks come as the Trump administration seeks to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, which began nearly three years ago when Putin led an unprovoked invasion into its neighbor, Ukraine.

Asked about Putin’s territorial ambitions — and whether he thinks Putin wants the whole of Ukraine’s land — Trump said he asked Putin the same question.

“I think he wants to stop. That was my question to him. Because if he's going to go on, that would have been a big problem for us, and that would have caused me a big problem, because you just can't let that happen,” Trump said.

“I think he wants to end it. And they want to end it fast. Both of them,” Trump continued, noting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “wants to end it too.”

In an interview that aired Sunday on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” Zelensky told host Kristen Welker that, when he last talked to Trump, the Ukrainian president advised Trump against trusting Putin when he says he wants peace. Zelensky said he told Trump that Putin is “a liar” and is “a little bit scared” of Trump.

“And I think the president has this chance, and he's strong,” Zelensky said of Trump. “And I think that really he can push Putin to peace negotiations. Yes, I think so. I think he can, but don't trust him. Don't trust Putin. Don't trust just words about ceasefire.”

Zelensky also said in the interview that “we believe that Putin will wage war against NATO,” adding, “we have intelligence, we have documents that they are preparing trained mission of a big number of soldiers on the territory of Belarus.” He said he worries there’s a risk that Putin will target Poland and Lithuania next.

Asked about Zelensky’s warning about Putin’s potential war against NATO, Trump said, “No, I don’t agree. I don’t agree. Not even a little bit.”

Topics

Trump says he wants to negotiate about Ukraine. It's not clear if Putin really does

Nearly three years after President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, his troops are making steady progress on the battlefield
ABC News - Feb. 8
Trump-Putin Call Was ‘No Betrayal’ of Ukraine, Hegseth Says

The call has raised concerns among some European leaders that Ukraine could effectively be sidelined in any peace negotiations.
The New York Times - Feb. 13
Haley admonishes Trump for Ukraine stance: 'Exactly what Putin wants'

Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley admonished her 2024 election rival, President Trump, over his stance on Ukraine and recent comments directed at the country’s president, ...
The Hill - 5h
Trump says he has spoken with Putin about ending Ukraine war

Trump tells the New York Post that he has a plan to end the war but declined to go into details. Donald Trump has said he held talks with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, over a negotiated ...
The Guardian - Feb. 9
Trump says he’s spoken with Putin about Ukraine war

President Donald Trump is set to become the first sitting president to ever attend the Super Bowl, making security even tighter than usual at the big game. Meanwhile, the President says he has ...
NBC News - Feb. 9
Trump says he's spoken with Putin about ending Ukraine war

President Trump says he has spoken with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and is making progress on ending the nearly three-year-long war in Ukraine. Retired Brigadier General Peter Zwack joined CBS ...
CBS News - Feb. 11
Trump speaks with Putin, says negotiations to end war in Ukraine will begin 'immediately'

President Trump spoke Wednesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said the two agreed to “start negotiations immediately” about the war in Ukraine. Trump posted on Truth Social that he had ...
The Hill - Feb. 12
Trump says he spoke with Putin about ending war in Ukraine

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine.
ABC News - Feb. 12
Trump says he spoke to Putin about ending the war in Ukraine

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said that he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone Wednesday about ending the war in Ukraine and that Putin indicated he would be willing to ...
NBC News - Feb. 12