Washington: US President Donald Trump expressed, on Monday, readiness to step back from his ongoing efforts to mediate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war should negotiations between Moscow and Kiev fail to show positive progress. This declaration came during a White House event with law enforcement agencies when Trump responded to a journalist's question following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Kuwait News Agency, Trump later posted on Truth Social, announcing that Russia and Ukraine were set to begin "immediate" ceasefire talks. He stated, "I think something's going to happen. It's a very, very big egos involved. I tell you, big egos involved, but I think something's going to happen. And if it doesn't, I just back away and they're going to have to keep going again."
Trump reiterated his belief that Putin "wants to end" the conflict with Ukraine, mentioning that he had also discussed the issue with leaders of Germany, Finland, Italy, the UK, and two other countries, along with extensive talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He described the situation as a "big, big problem" and noted the complexity of disentangling from the war.
Trump indicated there is now "a good chance" for achieving a ceasefire, asserting his belief that Putin is motivated to resolve the conflict. When questioned about a potential red line that might lead him to abandon his efforts, Trump confirmed: "In my head, but not something I'm going to announce, but yeah, definitely in my head, I do, yeah, because this is in our war. This is not my war. This is not the war."
Regarding the absence of new US sanctions on Russia, Trump explained, "Because I think there's a chance of getting something done, and if you do that, you can also make it much worse. But there could be a time where that's going to happen." When asked whether Ukraine is doing enough to reach a peace agreement, Trump replied, "I'd rather tell you in about two weeks from now, because I can't say yes or no."
Earlier on Monday, Trump confirmed a lengthy phone call with Putin, describing it as a positive interaction. He wrote on Truth Social, "I believe it went very well. Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War."