US President Donald Trump said both Russia and Ukraine appear willing to reach an agreement, but warned that deep territorial disputes continue to block progress.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from Davos, Trump described the Ukraine war as complicated and distanced himself from the conflict. He said the same issues that have stalled talks for months remain unresolved.
“Look, this is a war. This Biden’s war. This isn’t my war,” Trump said. “This is a war that should have never happened, but it’s complex, because you have beats and bounds, you have streets, you have rivers, you have everything.”
He said disagreements over borders and control of land have made negotiations difficult. “Where does it end? So it’s a little bit complicated,” he said, adding that other conflicts he dealt with were resolved far faster. “I got them done fast in days, and this one is just going on.”
Trump says both leaders are open to talks, no breakthrough yet
Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky now appear interested in reaching an agreement, but he stopped short of suggesting a deal was close.
“I’m not making any predictions. There are no changes,” Trump said. “I think that President Putin would like to make a deal. I think that President Zelensky would like to make a deal.”
He said Zelensky had travelled to meet him and expressed a desire to end the war. “He said he’d like to make a deal,” Trump said. “Because people know the parameters. It’s not like, you know, we’re discussing things that have been discussed for six or seven months.”
Trump also spoke about conditions inside Ukraine, especially during winter. He said civilians were facing extreme hardship. “It’s really tough for the people of Ukraine,” he said, describing areas without heat during severe cold. “That’s no way to live.”
Greenland, Venezuela, Iran and domestic issues also raised
On Greenland, Trump said his administration was preparing a framework agreement and that clarity would come soon. “We’ll have something in two weeks,” he said, adding that there was “a good spirit to get something done.”
He stressed the need for freedom of action and highlighted US military strength. “We have a great military. I built a great military,” Trump said, pointing to weapons capability and defence production.
Trump also spoke about Venezuela, praising its leadership and outlining oil flows to the US. “Over 50 million barrels of oil is already moved or moving into the United States, and much more to come,” he said, calling the arrangement beneficial for both countries.
“Our country will become richer, and that means our taxes are going to be going down and they will do better. Venezuela is going to do better than they’ve ever done.”
On Iran, Trump said the US had deployed major military assets but preferred to avoid conflict. “We have a big flotilla going in that direction,” he said. He claimed he had intervened to stop mass executions. “I stopped 837 hangings on Thursday,” he said, adding that the move was cancelled after his warning.
Trump also commented on domestic policy, saying he was not keen on allowing retirement savings to be used for home purchases. “I’m not a huge fan,” he said, pointing to strong returns in retirement funds.