Trump Says Zelenskyy Will Be Involved In Peace Talks With Putin

Former President Donald Trump shared his strategy to resolve the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War during a press gaggle on Sunday, asserting that both leaders involved "want to stop fighting."

Speaking at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, Trump reiterated his commitment to "trying to get peace with Russia, Ukraine."

"And we’re working very hard on it," he stated, according to Fox News. "It’s a war that should have never started."

When asked if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be part of the discussions, Trump confirmed, "He will be involved, yes."

Addressing another question from a reporter, Trump affirmed that he would allow European nations to acquire American-made weapons that were originally allocated for Ukraine.

The former president also expressed his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin—who first escalated tensions by annexing Crimea in 2014 and then launched a full-scale invasion in 2022—now seeks to conclude the war.

"I think he wants to stop fighting," Trump said. "They have a big, powerful machine, you understand that? And they defeated Hitler, and they defeated Napoleon. You know, he’s been fighting a long time... I think he would like to stop fighting."

He added, "Zelenskyy wants to end it, too."

This week, negotiations between the U.S. and Russia are set to commence in Saudi Arabia, though previous reports suggested Ukraine might not take part directly.

Trump’s National Security Advisor, Michael Waltz, told Fox News Sunday that these discussions would center around "key tenets" aimed at achieving a "permanent end to the war."

"The United States and Europe have supported [the Ukrainian] effort, but the United States unquestionably has borne the brunt of that support over the years, but now President Trump is clear it needs to come to an end," Waltz stated on Sunday.

Trump’s comments followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, where he discussed Putin and suggested the Russian leader "fears" Trump.

"I said that [Putin] is a liar," Zelenskyy recalled about a recent conversation with Trump. "And he said, ‘I think my feeling is that he’s ready for these negotiations.’ And I said to him, ‘No, he’s a liar. He doesn’t want any peace.’"

"But I think he’s really a little bit scared about the President Trump," Zelenskyy continued, as cited by Fox. "And I think the president has this chance, and he’s strong. And I think that really, he can push Putin to peace negotiations. Yes, I think so. I think he can, but don’t trust him. Don’t trust Putin. Don’t trust just words about ceasefire."

On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance emphasized Trump’s desire for constructive dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, though he noted that the U.S. had a "range of options" if Putin failed to present a deal ensuring peace for Ukraine.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Vance affirmed Trump’s commitment to securing a resolution and indicated that incentives would be on the table for Russia to engage in peace talks.

"If you look at President Trump’s approach to this, the range of options is extremely broad, and there are economic tools of leverage. There are, of course, military tools of leverage. There’s a whole host of things that we could do. But fundamentally, I think the President wants to have a productive negotiation, both with Putin and with Zelenskyy," Vance stated.

"I think there is a deal that is going to come out of this that’s going to shock a lot of people," he added.