WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday that Russia is showing a willingness to end the war in Ukraine by not pursuing full territorial control, calling it a "pretty big concession."
Speaking from the Oval Office during a meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Trump claimed that his administration is applying significant pressure on Moscow, which he believes is driving Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in dialogue.
"I think he wants to make a deal—we’ll see soon enough. But it takes two to tango," Trump said.
However, Trump's framing of Russia’s actions drew swift backlash from Ukraine and European allies, who argued that halting a full-scale invasion should not be viewed as a concession. They maintain that Moscow's continued attacks and territorial claims remain unacceptable.
The criticism came just hours after a rare direct rebuke from Trump toward Putin, following a deadly overnight missile and drone attack on Kyiv. The assault, one of the worst in nearly a year, killed at least 12 people and injured 90 others.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, "I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE!"
Pressed by reporters on his unusually blunt message to Putin, Trump explained, "I didn’t like last night. I wasn’t happy with it... We're in the midst of peace talks, and missiles were fired. That’s what I meant."
During his meeting with Støre, Trump struck a more hopeful tone, expressing confidence that both Russia and Ukraine are interested in ending the conflict. "There's a lot of bad blood and distrust," he acknowledged, "but I hope we can get there—for the sake of the young people dying."
Trump also said he has a personal timeline for achieving peace and is pushing for a quick resolution.
Just a day prior, the president had taken aim at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for rejecting a U.S. proposal that involved Ukraine surrendering some of its territory currently held by Russia, underscoring divisions even among allies on the path to ending the war.
