US President Donald Trump has called on Russia to expedite its efforts to end the war in Ukraine, describing the conflict as “senseless.” His statement came as US envoy Steve Witkoff concluded his latest round of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump has been pressing for a ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv but has struggled to secure significant concessions from the Kremlin, despite several rounds of diplomacy. Last month, Trump expressed frustration with Putin, saying he was “pissed off,” while top US diplomat Marco Rubio warned against prolonging negotiations with Russia.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump emphasized that Russia needed to “get moving” and criticized the war, which began in February 2022, as one that “should have never happened.”
Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Russia of stalling the peace talks, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently claimed that hundreds of Chinese nationals were fighting alongside Russian forces at the front lines.
Witkoff’s meeting with Putin, which took place in Saint Petersburg, lasted for four and a half hours. The Kremlin described the discussion as focused on “various aspects of the Ukrainian settlement,” though no details were provided. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated there were no expected diplomatic breakthroughs from the talks, Witkoff’s third such meeting with Putin since February.
Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, recently suggested that British and French troops could establish “zones of control” in Ukraine as part of a post-ceasefire peacekeeping force. These zones could be west of the Dnipro river, separating Russian-occupied areas in the east, in a strategy reminiscent of post-WWII Berlin.
In a separate development, Zelensky accused Russia of involving China in the conflict, alleging that Chinese nationals were fighting alongside Russian troops. However, Russia denied the claim, and Beijing urged parties to avoid making “irresponsible remarks.”
Despite some diplomatic gestures, such as the recent release of US-Russian detainees, meaningful progress towards a ceasefire remains elusive. Nonetheless, talks continue as both sides navigate the ongoing conflict.
