Trump: Putin Munin Will Not Reach Peaceful Deal With Ukraine

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump hopes Russian President Vladimir Putin will continue to advance in ending the war in Ukraine.

But Trump admits the Kremlin leader may not want to reach an agreement at all that would actually create a "difficult situation" for Putin.

In an interview with Fox & Friends program on Fox News, Trump expects Putin's direction to become clear in the coming weeks.

Trump has also again ruled out the possibility of American troops in Ukraine and provided no specific details about the security guarantees he previously said Washington could offer Kyiv in a postwar settlement.

"To be honest, I don't think it will be a problem (achieving a peace deal). I think Putin is bored. I think they are all bored, but we never know," Trump said.

"We will know about President Putin in the next few weeks. There is a possibility he does not want to reach an agreement," Trump, who previously threatened to impose tougher sanctions on Russia and its oil-buying countries if Putin does not make peace.

Ukraine and its European allies are optimistic with Trump's pledge of security guarantees to help end the war at an extraordinary summit on Monday, but are still facing many unanswered questions, including how much Russia's willingness to work together.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the negotiations at the White House with the US president as "a major step forward" to end Europe's deadliest conflict in 80 years including preparing for a trilateral meeting with Putin and Trump in the coming weeks.

Zelenskyyy was accompanied by allied leaders, including Germany, France, and Britain, at the summit.

But behind all that is seen, the path to peace is still very uncertain and Zelenskyy may be forced to make a painful compromise to end the war, which began with a massive Russian invasion in February 2022.

Analysts say more than 1 million people have been killed or injured in the conflict.

Although negotiations in Washington provide little relief in Kyiv, the fighting does not subside.

Russia launched 270 drones (drones) and 10 missiles in overnight attacks in Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Air Force, which was the largest attack this month. The Ministry of Energy said Russia was targeting energy facilities in the central Poltava region, the location of Ukraine's only oil refinery, which caused a major fire.

"The good news is that there was no explosion (at the White House). Trump did not demand Ukraine's capitulation or discontinued support. The atmosphere was positive and the trans-Atlantic alliance remained alive," JohnOKer, a former British defense attach to Kyiv and Moscow, told Reuters.

"On the negative side, there is a lot of uncertainty about the nature of security guarantees and what exactly the US means," he said.

Ukrainian allies will hold talks of the European coalition on Tuesday to discuss the next steps.