"It'll either end or go on for a long time": Trump on Russia-Ukraine war as peace talks enter final stages

Florida [US], December 29 : US President Donald Trump on Sunday said peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are in the final stages and that from here either the war will end or it will continue for a long time, as he welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for talks at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. The meeting is underway and is being seen as a key moment in efforts to bring the nearly four-year conflict to an end.

"...We're in the final stages of talking. We're going to see. Otherwise, it's going to go on for a long time. It'll either end, or it's going to go on for a long time, and millions of additional people are going to be killed, and nobody wants that," Trump said.

Speaking to reporters before the closed-door discussions began, when asked if he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about peace this time, Trump said, "I do."

Before meeting Zelenskyy, Trump had a one-hour-and-15-minute-long telephonic conversation with Putin, which he later called "very productive."

"Yes, I do (believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about peace this time). I think he is. I think they both are... They have to make a deal... Too many people died, and both Presidents want to make a deal," Trump said while speaking to reporters at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump added that the outlines of a possible agreement were already taking shape and stressed that the agreement would benefit all sides involved.

"I do believe that we have the makings of a deal. It's good for Ukraine, good for everybody. There is nothing more important. I settled eight wars; this is the most difficult one. We are going to get it done. We are going to have a great meeting today," he said.

As Zelenskyy arrived in the US for talks with President Trump for the third time this year, Trump also praised him.

"This gentleman has worked very hard, and he's very brave, and his people are very brave. What they've gone through, very rarely has a nation ever had to go through this," Trump said.

"I am also calling President Putin back after the meeting, and we will continue the negotiations, pretty complex, but not that complex," he added.

When asked whether he had set any deadline for ending the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump made it clear that he has no deadline for a peace deal this time.

"I don't have deadlines. You know what my deadline is, getting the war ended," Trump said.

Trump also noted that there would be a security agreement. "There will be a strong agreement, and European nations are very much involved," he said.

The meeting comes on the heels of a massive attack by Russia on Ukraine's capital Kyiv, which killed at least two and injured others.

With Trump, many other officials are attending the dinner hosted by POTUS for Zelenskyy.

With Trump, his foreign envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and other also attended the dinner.

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