Trump Sees Potential for Momentum in Russia-Ukraine Talks

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump is optimistic that the recent historic Middle East agreement will create “huge momentum” in the ongoing negotiations concerning the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has been dragging on for nearly five years.

During a meeting on Friday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the Cabinet Room, Trump was asked if he believed the energy from last week’s deal with Hamas could influence the situation in Eastern Europe. His response? “I think so.”

Trump expressed confidence, saying, “We have a lot of momentum and confidence. It was very important to get the Middle East thing done. No one thought we could do it. And we did it.” He emphasized the significant military action taken against Iran, which he described as a major operation involving advanced aircraft.

“Honestly, I don’t think anyone expected that to happen. We had 59 countries involved—really diverse ones. Arabs, Muslims, Jews, Christians, you name it—lots of nations came together to make this happen. And we got it done,” he added. “Once we set up the negotiations properly, things moved quickly. We just needed to get that table set right.”

Trump believes that “the table is properly set” for discussions regarding Russia-Ukraine.

“This is something we should get through. I think the table is set right here now. It’s a great honor to make progress. The Ukrainian people are wonderful, and the Russian people are wonderful too. They obviously have a lot in common,” he remarked.

This meeting with Zelensky followed a lengthy phone call Trump had with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which he described as “very productive.” The two leaders are expected to meet in Budapest, Hungary, after consultations among their top advisers next week.