US President Donald Trump has said he believes Ukraine and Russia are ready to reach an agreement to end Russia's war against Ukraine. In an interview with the Financial Times, he expressed optimism that peace negotiations would make progress, offering an assessment that the newspaper said was not shared by Ukrainian negotiators.
Trump described the two sides as having reached a point where they were prepared to seek a deal. "I think they're both at the point of saying, 'Let's make a deal'," he told the newspaper. The Financial Times, however, reported a difference between the US president's outlook and that of the Ukrainian negotiating team.
During the interview, Trump also referred to the US conflict with Iran, distinguishing it from the war in Ukraine and the two world wars. He said he did not consider the United States to be in a war comparable to those conflicts. His comments on Ukraine reflected his expectation that the peace talks could move forward.
Further diplomatic meetings are scheduled involving US officials and European representatives, as well as negotiating teams from Ukraine, the United States and Russia. The announced discussions include a meeting in Brussels this week and talks in Abu Dhabi on November 10 and 11.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said the American team would meet representatives of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union and NATO in Brussels. Security guarantees for Ukraine will be among the matters discussed at that meeting, according to his announcement.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said a Russian delegation would travel to Abu Dhabi for the talks with Ukraine and the United States. Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, will once again head the Russian negotiating delegation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously pointed to a sense that Russia was serious about the planned meeting between negotiating teams in Abu Dhabi. He made that assessment following a conversation between European leaders and Putin, referring specifically to Russia's approach to the meeting.
Zelenskyy also addressed Russia's attitude toward Europe in remarks at the Berlin Security Conference. He said that, from Russia's perspective, "a peaceful and united Europe is its enemy".
