President Donald Trump revealed Wednesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is eager to see the war with Russia come to an end—marking a potential turning point in the years-long conflict. The two leaders met privately during the NATO Summit in The Hague, where Trump described Zelensky as warm, candid, and committed to securing peace.
“He couldn’t have been nicer,” Trump said during a press conference. “I think he’d like to see an end to this, I do. What I took from the meeting — couldn’t have been nicer, actually — but I took from the meeting he’d like to see it end.”
The former president added that he’s now preparing to speak directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin to determine whether a peace agreement can be reached. “I think it’s a great time to end it,” Trump stated plainly.
Zelensky, for his part, seemed to confirm the shift. In a post on X, he said the two held “a long and substantive meeting” and discussed “how to achieve a ceasefire and a real peace.” He thanked Trump for his “attention and readiness to help bring peace closer.”
This meeting marked only the second time Trump and Zelensky have met since Trump’s return to office. Their last in-person interaction took place in April at the funeral of Pope Francis, following a tense February Oval Office exchange.
Trump also highlighted the devastating human cost of the ongoing war, noting that nearly 7,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the past week alone. That staggering toll, he suggested, makes now the most urgent moment for diplomacy.
But Trump’s path to peace appears focused not just on Ukraine, but on recalibrating ties with Moscow. Speaking candidly, he described Putin as “misguided” and said he was surprised that a settlement hadn’t already been reached. “I thought we would have had that settled easy. I’ve settled four of them in the meantime,” he said, referring to previous ceasefires achieved since taking office.
In an intriguing aside, Trump said Putin recently reached out about helping to negotiate a peace deal—with Iran. Trump’s response? “No, no, you help me get a settlement with you, with Russia.”
It’s unclear what role Iran would play in broader peace talks, but the mention suggests a multi-dimensional approach to winding down global hotspots—a hallmark of Trump’s foreign policy playbook.
The remarks mark one of Trump’s clearest statements yet on his plan for ending the war. Unlike the Biden-era “blank check” approach to Ukraine, Trump appears focused on diplomacy and rapid resolution—starting with direct engagement from the top.
Critics have long warned that Trump’s approach to Russia would be too conciliatory, while supporters argue that only Trump can exert the kind of leverage needed to make Putin blink. Wednesday’s developments give new weight to the idea that peace in Eastern Europe might only come through backchannel negotiation, not battlefield attrition.
For now, one thing is clear: Zelensky is signaling a willingness to talk, and Trump is preparing to act. Whether this results in a ceasefire—or something more lasting—could depend on how soon the key players are willing to come to the table. And for the thousands still dying in the trenches, that moment can’t come soon enough.
