Trump: Zelenskyy, Putin need to talk but do not know how to reach an agreement

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin need direct talks but do not know how to reach an agreement to end the war.

Trump said he had recently held phone conversations with both leaders, describing the discussions as “very successful”.

“They need to talk, but they just do not know how. They simply do not know how to reach an agreement,” Trump said.

The President also commented on battlefield losses, saying both sides were suffering heavy casualties, with Russia sustaining greater losses because its forces were on the offensive.

“When you are attacking in a war, you lose more people,” Trump said.

Following the conclusion of an agreement with Iran, Trump said Washington’s next priority would be finding a path toward ending the Russia-Ukraine war. According to him, the conflict is claiming around 25,000 lives every month.

Trump’s remarks came amid continued diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing Moscow and Kyiv to the negotiating table. Zelenskyy and Trump have also discussed the possibility of hosting talks with Putin on US territory, a format that could make it more difficult for the Kremlin leader to avoid direct dialogue.

Meanwhile, Germany’s Foreign Ministry has not ruled out the possibility of peace negotiations beginning this summer, arguing that the war has effectively reached a stalemate and that Putin may eventually consider a diplomatic settlement.