WASHINGTON (TNND) — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised President Donald Trump after his historic meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday.
What we’ve witnessed President Trump accomplish over the last few days is nothing short of remarkable,” Leavitt said to kick off a news conference on Tuesday.Now, there might finally be light at the end of the tunnel and an opportunity for lasting peace,” she added. “That’s because President Trump is the peace president and American leadership is back on the world stage.”
Trump said he is confident the end of the Russia-Ukraine war is near.
Ahead of his meeting with European leaders at the White House, Trump was caught on a hot microphone as he told French President Emmanuel Macron he thinks Russian Putin is ready to settle the conflict.
I think he wants to make a deal for me. Do you understand? As crazy as it sounds,” Trump is heard whispering in audio captured by CNN.
Trump later said he called Putin after speaking with Zelenskyy and started working to arrange a meeting “at a location to be determined” between himself, Putin, and Zelenskyy.
After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, are coordinating with Russia and Ukraine.”
He also said he had “a very good meeting” with Zelenskyy and the European leaders.
During the meeting we discussed Security Guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European Countries, with a coordination with the United States of America,” Trump added. “Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine.”
Trump and Leavitt said the U.S. will not be deploying troops to defend Ukraine’s border.
I’m just trying to stop people from being killed,” Trump told Fox & Friends earlier on Tuesday. “They’re losing 5,000 to 7,000 people a week in that ridiculous war that should have never happened. If we had a normal president — not even a great president — if we had normal president, it wouldn’t have happened.”
To agree to a peace deal with Russia, Ukraine wants assurances that it can deter any future attacks by the Kremlin’s forces.
That means, Zelenskyy says, a strong Ukrainian army that is provided with weapons and training by Western partners.
It could potentially also mean offering Ukraine a guarantee resembling NATO’s collective defense mandate, which sees an attack on one member of the alliance as an attack on all. How that would work is not clear.
Additionally, Kyiv’s European allies are looking to set up a force that could backstop any peace agreement in Ukraine.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.