Ukraine-Russia war latest: Trump says Ukraine may be Russian someday while demanding $500bn rare earth deal

Sergei Ryabkovrussian Deputy Foreign Minister

This is where we are and the sooner US, Britain and others understand it, the better it would be and the closer this desired political solution will be for everyone,

said Mr Ryabkov

Vladimir Putinpresident

We’re trying to end that war. It’s a war that would have never happened if I were president, it would have never happened, but we’re making progress.” ... I’ve had it. Let’s just say I’ve had it. And I expect to have many more conversations. We have to get that war ended. It’s going to end.”

He told reporters ... Asked to clarify whether his conversations with Putin took place before he took office or after, Trump said

Sergei Ryabkovrussian Deputy Foreign Minister

Without solving the problems which were the root causes of what is happening, it will not be possible to reach an agreement,

Mr Ryabkov said

I made a statement on this matter yesterday, and I can't tell you anything else. I can neither confirm nor deny it."

In a subsequent press briefing, Peskov then said

This is slightly strange since Putin is highly likely to be desperate for a one-to-one meeting with Trump to see if he can get a deal over [Ukraine] that he can call victory."

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Carl Bildt, the co-chair of European Council on Foreign Relations, wrote

We are ready for dialogue, which has been said repeatedly, including being ready to discuss a settlement in Ukraine, but only on an equal, mutually acceptable basis."

Discussing negotiations between Russia and the U.S.,

All those dead people. Young, young, beautiful people. They're like your kids, 2 million of them—and for no reason."

The American president added

Such Russian plans suggest that Russia, not Ukraine, is the party refusing good-faith negotiations and actively pushing for protracted war rather than peace, while also setting conditions to prepare for a potential broader conflict with NATO,

the ISW said

They are now increasing their army by more than a hundred thousand soldiers,

Zelensky said,

If the escalation continues under Trump, and the Russian leadership gets the impression that this is a problem that has no solution, it will lead to a world war."

He told Danish newspaper Frihedsbrevet, as per translated excerpts reported by Russia's global platform RTVI and the independent outlet Agentsvo