President Donald Trump said Thursday that Russia has “hope” that Russia agrees to a ceasefire with Ukraine as the first step to end the three-year brutal war.
“We know where we are with Ukraine,” he told reporters from an oval office alongside NATO executive director Mark Latte.
“Hopefully they'll do the right thing,” he added in connection with Russia.
President Donald Trump and the Dutch President Mark Latte were Prime Minister Mark Latte at the White House on July 18, 2019. On March 13, 2025, the NATO Secretary General met with Trump in his oval office. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarck)
Putin thanked Trump for the principle of ceasefire, but he doesn't say yes.
Trump's comments showed that after Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech in Moscow, he thanked President Trump for his efforts to ceasefire and agreed with them in “principles,” but he did not agree with the proposal for the current 30 days.
Trump said he was aware of Putin's comments at the time of the oval office press conference, and that he classified the comments from the Russian leader as “promising” as “incomplete.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin will speak at a press conference at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
“He made a very promising statement, but it wasn't perfect,” Trump said. “I want to meet him and talk to him, but we have to get through it quickly.”
The president has flagged complaints related to discussions about the Zaporidian power plant and Ukrainians entering NATO, and Putin also mentioned in his speech in Moscow.
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“Many of the details of the final agreement are actually being discussed,” Trump told reporters at the moment when Putin said. “Now we're going to see if Russia is there.
“If not, it would be a very unfortunate moment for the world,” he added.
Check out this developing story.
