President Donald Trump said Friday that Ukraine and Russia “are very close to a deal” following a day of productive conversations.
Trump took to Truth Social just after he landed in Rome to share the details and suggest a meeting between top Russian and Ukrainian officials.
“Just landed in Rome. A good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off,'” Trump wrote. “Most of the major points are agreed to.”
“Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!” he added.
Trump noted earlier in the day that he would be meeting with world leaders during his time in Rome for Pope Francis’s funeral
“We’re going to meet with a lot of the foreign leaders. They want to meet,” Trump said. “Trade deals are going very well. I think Russia and Ukraine, I think they’re coming along, we hope, very fragile. And Iran, I think, is going very well. We’ll see what happens.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also set to attend the late pontiff’s funeral, though it is unclear if he and Trump plan to talk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, on Friday. Witkoff has played a key role in diplomatic negotiations and peace efforts.
Multiple obstacles arose around peace talks this week. On Thursday, Russia fired a strike on Kyiv, killing 12 and wounding about 90 more. On Friday, a Russian general was assassinated in an explosion in a Moscow suburb. And while no one has claimed responsibility, the Kremlin is accusing Ukraine of the attack.
