President Donald Trump warned the Russia-Ukraine war could escalate into a wider conflict as he urged Ukrainian and Russian leaders to accept a U.S.-backed peace plan. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected any deal involving territorial concessions, stressing sovereignty concerns. Despite the disagreement, both sides have continued negotiations.
Trump stated, “Things like this end up in third-world wars. And I told that the other day, I said, ‘You know, everybody keeps playing games like this, you’ll end up in a third world war.’ And we don’t want to see that happen.”
Trump added, “I’d like to see the killing stop: 25,000 people died last month, soldiers—mostly soldiers, but some people also where bombs were dropped.”
Peace Plan Faces Scrutiny
Trump later said Russia and Ukraine were close to a deal, with most Ukrainian officials except Zelenskyy supporting it. He described negotiations as difficult, citing territorial disputes.
Trump stated, “It’s a little bit complicated because you’re cutting up land in a certain way. It’s not the easiest thing. It’s sort of like a complex real estate deal times a thousand.”
Trump later said, “I think we’re closer now than we have been, ever, and we’ll see what we can do.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump has grown “extremely frustrated” with meetings that fail to yield results and wants to see evident progress.
Zelenskyy emphasized that active U.S. engagement is critical “not only in working to end the war, but also in ensuring Ukraine’s security and preventing a new Russian invasion.”
Zelenskyy stated, “This is not only physical security, it’s also about making Russia finally learn to live by the rule of law. It will only work if there is true accountability, if the punishment of the aggressor becomes inevitable.”
Zelenskyy reportedly held talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, envoy Steve Witkoff, and adviser Jared Kushner.
This story was reported by content partner Modern Newsstand LLC.
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